


As Fate Would Have It

by rmpdc_dcstr94



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Black 2 & White 2 | Pokemon Black 2 & White 2 Versions
Genre: Childhood Friends, Dating, Double Dating, F/M, Ferris Wheels, First Dates, First Kiss, Loss of Virginity, Making Out, Masturbation, Paparazzi, Pokemon Battle, Rejection, Secret Identity Fail, Sick Character, Situational Humiliation, Teen Romance, Time Skips, Underage Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-28
Updated: 2019-08-28
Packaged: 2019-09-01 17:16:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 21
Words: 53,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16769461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rmpdc_dcstr94/pseuds/rmpdc_dcstr94
Summary: After being rejected by his childhood friend Rosa, Nate stumbles upon a dropped Xtransceiver. And from there, friendship, eventual romance, and occasional awkwardness ensue. A Transceivershipping fic, with Sequelshipping on the side. Rated M for eventual lemons.Inspired by a few Visual Novels, as well as the author's view that the Transceivershipping is criminally underrated.Originally posted on fanfiction.net here: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10189019/1/As-Fate-Would-Have-itNow has its own tvtropes page here: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/AsFateWouldHaveIt





	1. Fated to Meet

**Author's Note:**

> A fanfic that the author has been doing as far back as 2014, and originally published on fanfiction.net. As such, it's likely that a lot of the earlier chapters uploaded here may not have aged well. So feedback is appreciated as much as possible.

**Chapter 1: Fated to Meet**

**_The story begins in Nimbasa City’s amusement park, where our hero, Nate, has just earned his fourth Gym Badge. As he exits the gym, he encounters his childhood friend (and long-standing crush) Rosa. Hoping to finally confess his love for her, he invites her for a ride, knowing that she herself is huge fan,y, of the Ferris wheel as well as helping him “set the mood” for the moment. However, the mood of said moment changes when things suddenly turn out for the worse, starting with Rosa’s reply …_ **

“Sorry. I can’t.” Rosa said to her childhood friend Nate while both of them were riding the Ferris wheel.

“What?” Nate replied.

“As much as I’m flattered by your offer, I can’t…”

“W-why? Am I being too nice or something? Or is it because of someone else?”

“……” She went silent.

“…Is it because of Hugh?” He suddenly began to realize the picture.

“…I…don’t…know…” She replied reluctantly. He could sense a tic in her tone and immediately he felt negative emotions coming through him.

The awkward silence continued for what seemed like minutes. Finally Nate decided to break it.

“I-it’s okay. I understand.” He said in a slightly disappointed tone.

“W-we…can still be friends r-right?” She said worriedly.

“Of course. There’s no changing that. We’ll always be friends.” He said to assure her.

_ Friends.  _ That word hit him like a Bouffalant to the chest as they exited the Ferris wheel. By then their ride was already over.

“So, what are you going to do now?” Rosa asked Nate who was obviously in a daze from what she said to him.

“I…I think I’ll continue the Pokémon League challenge. W- what about you?”

“I’m most likely going to stick around Nimbasa for a while. I really plan on beating the Battle Subway after that battle we had with the Subway Bosses the other day. And I’m also currently performing in the Musicals.”

“I see. Well good luck with the Battle Subway. I personally wouldn’t go for it until after I beat the Pokémon League. I hear even Veterans have trouble maintaining win streaks. I’d train first if I were you.”

“Yeah, I think you’re right. I think I’ll follow on what you said about the Subway Bosses by training on Route 16. Thanks for the advice. Oh, look, I’m already late. I still have a Musical to attend. I’ve got to get going. See you around.” She then ran as fast as she could toward to the building where the Musicals were being held.

“Man, she didn’t even let me say goodbye. *Sigh*” Immediately after she left, Nate continued going around the amusement park to get over both Rosa friendzoning him and his surprise towards that answer from her.

_ Darn. After all these years of wanting to admit my affection for her, I get that reply from her, of all things…, _ Nate thought. Despite his high hopes earlier that he could court Rosa, on the Ferris Wheel of all places, and having just earned his fourth badge at the gym prior, she turned him down, presumably for his best friend (and rival) Hugh. 

“Oh well. Guess I can’t have everything in life…” Nate said to himself as he realized that he was already at the Eastern end of the amusement park, and that it was already late afternoon.  _ No point in dawdling here all day long, might as well continue on to Driftveil. _

Just as he was about to leave the amusement park in disappointment and haste, he noticed a bright and shiny object on the ground. When he picked it up, he noticed that it was a custom Xtransceiver. Based on the design, he assumed that it must belong to someone rich or famous. For now, he decided, he would keep it until the time came.

Not long after exiting the amusement park, he heard a ring, not from his own Xtransceiver, but from the one he had just picked up. “I’m guessing this must be… the owner?” he said to himself.

“Um…Hello?” the voice on other end said. What Nate immediately noticed was two things: the voice of the caller was female and the lack of a profile picture on her end.

“H-hello. Uh…umm…are you the owner of this Xtransceiver?” Nate replied.

"Yes. That's right. I'm the owner of that Xtransceiver. I'm using an old Xtransceiver right now, so it's audio only. Sorry." The owner replied.

“Oh. I see. About that, I found it near the Ferris wheel just as I was about to leave the amusement park. I thought it would be good to hold onto it until the time came when you would look for it.”

"Thank you for finding it. Truth is, I want to come pick it up right away, but... Right now I'm very busy with work, and I'm not in a place where I can stop and come get it. If you don't mind, could you hang on to it for a little bit?"

“Um…alright…”

"Really? You don't mind? Thank you so much. My name's Na... Er... sorry... Yancy. And you are?"

“M-my name’s Nate. Nice to meet you, Yancy.”

“Nate? OK. When work calms down, I'll come pick it up, so please take care of it for me! Also... I'm sure you'll want to keep in touch until I can pick up my Xtransceiver. So I'll call your Xtransceiver often. Bye, then. Thanks again." She then hung up.

_ *Sigh* I still can’t believe that was fast .  _ Nate thought to himself as he left Nimbasa City en route to Driftveil Drawbridge to obtain his next badge.

_ This could be the start of something good… _ He thought to himself as he made his way through Route 5 towards said bridge.


	2. Fate and Friendship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taking place a while after the first chapter, Nate finally goes face-to-face with the custom Xtransceiver's owner, Yancy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, a chapter published originally in 2014, so reviews pointing out any grammatical errors are appreciated.

**Chapter 2: Fate and Friendship**

And he was right, at first. Following that first call, Nate began chatting with Yancy regularly via her Xtransceiver whenever they weren’t busy. They talked about their hobbies, interests, where they lived, and so on, even to the point where the latter thought that Nate was a girl. They both began to warm up to one another whenever they talked casually, treating each moment as a time when they could forget about the world and focus on the simple things in life. However, as time passed, they gradually began to distance themselves as their conversations got shorter and shorter, until they simply just  _ stopped _ talking altogether…

**_A few months later, Nate finally achieves his childhood dream of becoming the Unova League Champion by defeating Iris. While initially enjoying his new position, in the end though, he realizes that he cannot handle the long-term responsibilities of his new position, after losing a completely one-sided battle against Kanto Champion Red at the PWT’s Champions Tournament. He decides instead to consider the other things that have caught his attention on his journey, finally settling with his other childhood dream, to play the parts of his favourite comic book characters,_** **Lucario Kid** ** _and_** **Sneasel Ninja ,** ** _in the upcoming_** **Brycen-Man** ** _and_** **Full Metal Cop** **_series of Live-Action Films by PokéStar Studios, under the stage name “Lack-Two”._**

**_One day, while on the set after a long day of filming the last scenes for the upcoming third film in the_ ** **Brycen-Man** **_series,_ ** **Brycen-Man Strikes Back** **_, Nate hears the familiar sound of a certain someone’s Xtransciever. When he finally checks it after 3 rings, he unsurprisingly sees a name he hadn’t heard from in months: Yancy. Immediately, guilt and hesitation overcome him, but in the end he decides to pick it up, knowing not answering would just make things worse for their apparently strained friendship._ **

“Hello?” Nate said somewhat hesitantly as he answered his Xtransceiver.

“Nate? Is that you?” Yancy replied.

Once he recognized her familiar voice, he was immediately overcome with guilt.

“Y-Yancy? I-I’m so sorry for not talking to you these past few months. I hope you can forgive me for that.”

“Nate! Nate! Don’t worry! I’m not angry at you. To be honest, I should be the one to say sorry for not calling you in a while…I got pretty caught up with work these past few months, and I haven’t been getting enough rest until now. I hope you can forgive me for that, ahaha.”

Relieved by this reply, Nate decides to change the topic, wondering why she had called him in the first place.

“Speaking of which…, why call me after all this time?”

“W-well, I just wanted to ask you something, if it’s not too much to ask...” She said hesitantly.

“And that would be…?”

“Well, recently, I’ve been given a weeklong break from work, which means I’m free for now and…”

“And…?”

“And…Umm…would you… like to meet up this Saturday evening at the amusement park in Nimbasa?”

Upon hearing this, he blushed. He could really feel where this was going…

“So…you mean to say you, uhhh…want to go on a date with me?” he nervously said as started to have Butterfrees in his stomach.

“Well, not  _ really _ . I just wanted you to hand me back my Xtransceiver…”

“Oh.” Once again, this reply hits him hard as per the near-disaster that took place not too long ago. But just as he was about to feel bad once again, she intervenes at the last minute.

“Actually…that’s a great idea! I wouldn’t mind hanging out with you. After all, I should really thank you for helping me with my problems these past few months, ahahaha! So, how about it? You free this Saturday afternoon?”

Upon realizing that he actually was free that weekend, he nervously replies. “I…uh…actually…I am!”

“That’s great! Let’s meet around 5:30 PM near the Ferris wheel. I’m looking forward to seeing you there, ahahaha. Alright, see you this Saturday, Nate.”

“Alright, see you too, Yancy.”  _ click _

That Saturday afternoon, as he neared the Ferris wheel around 5:30PM as promised, what (or rather who) he saw before him stunned him. Standing right in front of the Ferris wheel was a girl with pink hair around his age, wearing a simple white and violet blouse and skirt, but what caught him the most was that she was wearing what looked like a white sun hat with a reddish-pink ribbon. Not only that, he could tell even from afar that she was really, really cute. For what seemed like a minute, he nervously kept looking at the girl until he caught her attention. From the looks of it, she was also just as nervous as he was. Curious, he approaches her.

_ I wonder if this girl is Yancy _ , Nate wondered as he decided to confirm the identity of the girl in front of him. Just as he was about to ask if she was indeed Yancy, the mystery girl spoke first.

“N-no! I’m not who you think I am!!!” the girl screamed out loud in panic.

Instantly recognizing her familiar tone, and deciding to ease the awkwardness of the already very awkward situation, Nate immediately tries to calm her down while at the same time trying to (unsuccessfully) introduce himself to her. It took him several minutes, but once she did calm down, she immediately recognized his voice.

“…S…so you’re Nate? I’m so sorry! I thought you were someone else. Well, uh…it’s finally nice to meet you in person. And yes, just in case you’re wondering, I’m Yancy. You…look so different from how I imagined you would be, so I was kind of taken aback a little, ahahaha.”

“Do I really look like a Team Plasma member to you?” he replied sarcastically.

Getting the joke, Yancy begins to lighten up. “Actually…you do kind of look like a grunt, hee hee!”

“Really? Hahahahaha!”

“Yes, really! Ahahahaha!”

Just as they continue laughing from the joke, Nate suddenly pulls something out of his bag as he remembers why they had met up in the first place.

“Oh, Yancy! I almost forgot. I think this…belongs to you.” Nate says as he gives her Xtransceiver back.

“Nate, thank you so much! I really thought I’d lose it for good.”

“Don’t worry, that’s what friends are for. So, why a custom Xtransceiver?”

“Well, kind of a long story. It’s what I can best describe as a “gift” from my company for a job well done.”

“No wonder you sounded so worried that day… I guess it’d be an insult to your bosses if you lost it.”

“Yeah…I really felt sorry for myself after being so careless that day. I was almost thinking of skipping work for a while after that... I probably would have lost my job if I didn’t make that call…”

“So basically I’m kind of like your knight in shining armor for answering that call, right?”

“I guess you could call it that, ahahahaha! Anyway, I really owe you a lot for that day.”

…

As they continue talking about what had happened to the two of them in the past few months, more so on Yancy’s part, seconds turn into minutes, and minutes into hours. Before they even realize it, it is already well into the night.

Yancy is the first to notice the sudden passage of time. “It’s getting late…”

“Huh…guess time really does fly fast…” Nate replied disappointedly.

“Well, Nate , thanks for everything today. I’d better get going, then. ..”

However, just before she gets the chance to bolt away, he once again asks her something.

“Yancy, wait! Before you go, would you ummm…uhhh…like to have dinner with me right now? I feel kind of sorry and embarrassed for our “date” ending like this, and I want to make up for it by paying for dinner.”

“W-why thank you so much! I feel very flattered by your offer, ahahaha! To be honest, I am kind of hungry after all that talking we had, and I feel bad on my part for letting time slip by. Say, let’s just split the bill and we’ll call it even?”

“Hmmm…I don’t know. I feel bad for splitting the bill on a date…But if you insist, then its fine by m…”

“Oh, thank you again so much Nate!” Just as she says this to him, she suddenly embraces him, causing him to blush.

“D-don’t mention it. It’s what I can do for a friend.” By this point, she lets go of him. “So, happen to know a good place to eat around this time?”

“I know a good place for starters, a café in Join Avenue.”

_ Join avenue, huh? Last thing I remember about that place was being given a job offer by a random businessman and refusing it, and then Rosa accepting it just like that… _ Nate thought as he walked with Yancy towards the café that she mentioned. It was located at the South end of the area, nearest to the Route 4 entrance.

At first glance, the café itself wasn’t anything special. It was just a simple sidestall in comparison to the larger and more prominent shops in the avenue. Once they ordered and began to eat however, Nate could see why she liked this particular place. The food and drinks were very delicious, and the place itself had a very relaxing feel to it in comparison to the rest of the area. As promised, they both had the bill split, albeit with Nate doing so reluctantly. Then, just before parting ways, it’s Yancy’s turn to break the silence.

“Nate, wait!”

“Hm!?”

“Just before we part ways, I think it’d be best if I registered your Xtransceiver. I feel kind of bad for calling you with mine. It got out of hand to the point my boss almost got mad at me for being behind schedule because of it… This way we can still call each other every now and then, without the problem of me lagging behind at work.”

“Alright, I don’t see why not. “

“Oh, one more thing. I'm usually at work, and sometimes I have trouble picking up a signal... But I'd like it if you check your Xtransceiver often and give me a call... Ah ha ha!”

“Same here actually. But I promise to keep in touch as much as possible when I’m not busy. We can even go out again when  _ you’re  _ not busy…”

“That’s so sweet of you, ahahaha. Well, since were done here, I'll be heading home before Mom starts worrying! Good-bye, Nate! Thanks again for everything!”

“Sure thing! I promise I’ll call you too when I’m not busy with my own work!”

As he watched her leave in the direction of Nimbasa city, Nate could now be sure that this was the start of something special between him and Yancy.


	3. Timeless Fate: Act 1: Afternoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Months have passed since their first meeting, and by now both Nate and Yancy are becoming really close to one another. Unlike their first meeting, Yancy decides to cook her friend a meal this time around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Same as the first two chapters, an old one dating from 2014. Any heads-up on grammatical errors are appreciated.

**Chapter 3: Timeless Fate Act 1: Afternoon**

**_Following that first meeting, they once again began regularly chatting with one another via their Xtransceivers for every opportunity they were given on their breaks from their jobs. And once again, whenever the opportunity presented itself, they would meet up every now and then in and around Nimbasa city, enjoying each other’s company whether it be riding the Ferris wheel , trading Pokemon , or the occasional lunch or dinner date at their favorite café. They continued doing this routine for months on end._ **

On one of these particular meet-ups at Nimbasa, around 6 months after their first “date”, rather than the usual lunch or dinner date at the café that they would normally have, Nate is surprised to see that this time Yancy is carrying what looks like a bag containing food.

“What’s with the food containers?” he asks first.

“Well, hee hee, remember that time when I told you that I liked to cook as a hobby?”

“Hmmm, now that you mention it, I do kind of remember that day. So, why bring food today?”

“Well, ahahaha, I decided to try experimenting this time. This is all stuff I cooked at home just for this occasion.” As she says this, she brings out the food containers in question. Upon opening and checking the contents of one of the containers, he sees that the food in question, in this case fried rice balls, appear to be carefully and meticulously prepared. He also notices the contents of one of the other boxes containing what looks like Spaghetti & Meatballs coated with layers of cheese, and seems just as well done as the former dish.

“Wow! You really made all this? I really didn’t expect it to be  _ this _ well done.”

“Thank you so much, Nate! I wouldn’t say it was easy making them though.... It took me several days to make them, but I’m pretty sure you’ll like them as I put extra effort on my part.”

Before he can reply to her, his stomach beats him to the punch. She on the other hand is visibly amused by this.

“I guess my stomach decided to be honest with you this time around.”

“Well, I’m actually just as hungry as you right now, ahahaha. Shall we start then?”

With this, they began to dig into their meals. As what she had promised him, the food not only looked good, but tasted good. While he was clearly overcome with by the fried rice ball’s almost-heavenly taste, she herself was clearly enjoying the spaghetti and the fact that she was able to make someone else happy. Once they finish eating, they return the food containers to the bag.

“Wow. I’m stuffed. Guess I couldn’t hold myself from enjoying each and every one of those rice balls.”

“Same with the Spaghetti . Sorry for forgetting to share it with you though. I think I over-indulged myself.”

“No worry. I think I should say the same for the fried rice balls.”

Noticing that it’s already late afternoon, they both decide to accompany each other to the gate of the amusement park as they had always done in the past. Along the way, they chat with one another.

“Nate, thanks for trying out my cooking today.”

“You’re welcome. I’ll admit that I really enjoyed your cooking today. You should do it more often, you know.”

“Hee hee, sure thing. Honestly, it’s the first time I’ve actually had someone aside from my parents and siblings actually try my cooking out. So it really means a lot for me.” She says this as they finally make it to their destination: the amusement park gate.

“Well, here we are, the gate.”

“Yeah…”

“ I’m guessing this is ‘goodbye’ for today?”

“Yup…”

Just before parting ways for the day as usual, Nate sees that his companion, rather than leaving immediately after saying goodbye, is still standing beside him, and is showing signs of hesitance.

Nate breaks the silence first. “What’s wrong?”

At first, she continues trying to piece together her words with reluctance. “Well…um…” But she finally manages to stay composed.

“Uhhh, Nate, would you mind if we…tried going somewhere else?”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

“Well, there’s this fancy restaurant at this hotel in Driftveil that I’ve always wanted to go to. And I was wondering if…” just she’s about to finish talking, he once again cuts in.

“… if I’m interested in going there with you on our next ‘date’?”

“Yeah, hee hee...”

From the looks on her face, and her quieter-than-usual laugh, he could see that her face was flushed in pink from either embarrassment or something  _ else _ . He could tell that there was more to this than what seemed.

“Uh, Yancy?”

“Yes?”

“Is there something wrong? “

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“I mean, you’ve been acting weird lately.”

“Well…I’ve been wondering…”

“Wondering what?”

“…if you…”

He could now make a clear picture of what she was trying to convey t earlier today. And a romantic picture, no less.

“…think that my hat looks silly?”

**_What._** Nate just stood there poker-faced as he put those words into head. _Now that was just…anti-climactic. And after all these months of chatting and meet-ups, too… Then again, I won’t hold it against her this time. No, not after_ **that** _last disaster… Welp, I better answer her before this gets even more awkward. Gulp…_

“To be honest, I actually like your hat. It’s what makes you unique.”

“Eh?”

“I’ve had similar experiences before regarding my half-pants. There were those who pointed it out, and even kept calling them shorts, which I really found annoying. Eventually though, I’ve gotten used to other peoples’ comments and all since it’s what made me stand out.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really. If I were you, I’d be confident in wearing that hat. And like I said, it looks great on you. It was even partly the reason we were able to meet each other at the amusement park in the first place.”

This time, he notices that her expression changes from one of embarrassment to one of relief. She was obviously flattered at his revelation. Just as he is about to say something in response, she decides to speak up first.

“You…actually like my hat?”

“Of course. There’s no changing that. Like I said just now, it’s what makes you stand out.”

“T-thanks again, Nate.” Once again, she blushes from his comforting remark.

Upon looking at her again, she apparently seems content and flattered with his answer. He then decides to return back to her first question, about the planned restaurant date in Driftveil.

“Now, about that restaurant date you mentioned. I honestly think it’s a great idea, but I’m not sure if I can afford…”

“Don’t worry about that.”

“Hm? Don’t tell me that we’re going to split the bill…”

“Even better. I can pay the whole bill this time, ahahaha.”

“Okay then…I think that’s more or less settled then, although honestly I’d rather go for splitting the bill again...”

“Ahahaha, I don’t mind.”

“ _ Sigh… _ So, do I have to wear formal attire there then?”

“Not really. But I’d wear pants and more decent looking clothes if I were you, ehehehe. It  _ is _ one of the best restaurants in Driftveil, after all, and not just anyone goes there, so looking decent is a must.”

“Huh. Guess you have a point. Might as well wear one of my more “decent” sets of clothes then… _ sigh _ ”

“Don’t feel so bad, Nate, ahahaha. Trust me, it’ll be worth it. I’ll even be going in semi-formal attire as well to make up for it.”

“Alright, fine. So…when are we meeting up for this one?”

“Saturday evening. If I remember it’s the only time of the week were both really free from our work, so I decided it would…”

“…be the perfect time to enjoy ourselves there?”

“Ahahaha, I honestly love it when you know exactly what I’m trying to convey ahead of me.”

“Hahahaha, I think I’ll take that as a compliment.” This time, it is Nate who blushes.

By this time, the sun has now long set, with the moon visibly appearing over the Nimbasa city skyline.

“Well, it’s getting late.” Nate says as he notices the night sky above them.

“Thank you again, Nate. I feel especially grateful that you really liked my cooking.”

“Sure thing, Yancy. I should also thank  _ you  _ for making my day complete.”

…


	4. Timeless Fate: Act 2: Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following their lunch date in Nimbasa City, Yancy invites Nate to dinner at a high-end restaurant located in one of Driftveil City's hotels. Will the two of them finally come clean with their feelings for one another?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yet another old chapter published back in 2014.

**Chapter 4 Timeless Fate Act 2: Evening**

**_That Saturday morning, at Nate’s house in Aspertia city, Nate invites Rosa over to see which of his limited array of semi-formal outfits can be deemed “appropriate” for his upcoming date…_ **

“So, how does this look?” Nate says as he shows his friend one of his more “decent” sets of shirts, in this case, a white polo shirt with horizontal black stripes. By the time he stumbles upon this barely-used shirt, he has already gotten to the point of semi-desperation as evidenced by the stack of other shirts piled up around his room.

“Hmmm…” His friend says with some degree of uncertainty.

“Well?”

“Let’s see. Uhmm…Try wearing it with that jacket over there!” She says as she points towards his closet over to the jacket in question, a black short-sleeved jacket with green sleeves and pockets.

“Like…this?” He says as he puts it on.

“It’s…it’s perfect! I mean you look a-absolutely incredible!”

“That’s…that’s great! So…uh… do I have to change my jeans this time and shoes this time around?”

“Actually...they kind of look pretty good with that shirt and jacket. Especially those black shoes you’re wearing right now don’t look half-bad the way they are now.”

“R-really!?” he says this with a sigh of a relief in his tone.

“Really! I mean, for one thing, they’re much better looking than those shorts you keep wearing, hehehe.”

“For the last time Rosa, they’re not…”

“Yeah, yeah… They’re half-pants, I know…”

“ _Sigh_.”

“Well, I think I should prepare these for later tonight. Don’t want to wrinkle them now.”

Just before he enters his closet to change, Rosa suddenly asks him something.

“Oh, Nate! I almost forgot. Which hotel did you say you were going to again?”

“Wait a minute, what _was_ its name again?” He says as he tries to remember while looking for something. “Uhm…Was it…?...ugh…no…Now where did I…”

After a minute, he finally produces a note Yancy had written and passed to him via recorded message the day after they had that special lunch “date” containing information on the hotel, and the restaurant in particular.

“Here we go! Let’s see. It says here it’s the… _Driftveil Chateau Hotel_.”

“Seriously!?”

“Wait, what?”

“It’s just that…I’m going there too tonight.”

“Ummm, why would that be?”

“Remember the Pokémon World Tournament, right?”

“How could I _not_ forget it after losing to **_that_ ** guy from Kanto not too long ago…”

“Come on Nate, you still didn’t get over that incident? Anyway… I’m staying there for the upcoming tournament this Sunday, which I promised to watch and compete in.”

“I see. Makes sense to me. Wait, if you’re going there, why don’t we just go there together? I don’t really know the place that much, and I was hoping...”

Upon hearing this, Rosa’s demeanor suddenly changes, apparently remembering something that had been on the back of her mind until just now.

“Well, uh… I don’t think that’d be possible as I’m busy with something later…”

“And that would be?”

“Umm, ugh…I’ve almost forgot to do something! S-see you, Nate!” She then hurriedly rushes out of his room and out the door, presumably back to her house to prepare for whatever she forgot.

“Huh. Wonder what that was all about…” _Anyway, I’ve got to prepare for my own event tonight._

…

**_A few hours later, at the lobby of the Driftveil Chateau Hotel…_ **

_Huh. Where is she? Maybe I shouldn’t have left too early…_ Nate sulks as he continues sitting on a hotel couch just outside the Driftveil Chateau café.

Barely a few seconds after this, he hears a familiar voice call out his name. When he turns to her direction, what he sees before him stuns him. Instead of her casual wear, she is instead wearing a similar but more elegant white, pink, and violet dress with sleeves. And instead of her usual sun hat, in its place is a pink and violet ribbon that goes well with the rest of her attire and her pink hair. Finally, in place of her violet shoes, she switches them out in favour for a pair of pearl white flat shoes.

“Yancy!?” he says with both surprise and amazement in his eyes. “Y-you…look incredible!”

“T-thank you so much, Nate, hee hee.” She says as she tries to hide her blushing cheeks. “A-actually, you’re not half-bad yourself. Glad that you finally decided to wear pants too, hehe!”

“Glad you pointed that out…”

“Ahahahaha! I’m sorry. I just couldn’t help myself.”

Finally getting over her joke, he decides to ask her about the restaurant in front of them. “So, um…is this the restaurant you told me about last time?”

“Yup. The famous _Driftveil Chateau Café_. I’ve always wanted to eat here ever since it opened a few months back, but I neither had the time nor the money to go here until I met you.”

Sensing her enthusiasm “I see. Since were already here, let’s go in shall we? From the looks of it, I think you’ve been dying to go in since a few minutes ago.”

“Yeah, hehe. I just can’t believe that were actually here.”

As they entered the restaurant together, they were instantly overwhelmed by the sight in front of them. Like what she had mentioned, the place was indeed very glamorous. The already highly-decorated walls were lined with different paintings from different regions, while jazz music was being played in the background by a group of musicians gathered near a piano in the centre.

“Damn. You were right about this place. It _is_ fancy. To think that I overlooked this place when I first went to this city too…”

“Hehe. I think you now know how _I_ feel about this place. I always thought it was beautiful from all those pictures, but to see this place up close…”

Just before she can finish her sentence, they are suddenly interrupted by man’s voice from behind.

“Um, sir? Ma’am? May I help you?” the restaurant waiter behind them said.

“Oh, yes. I reserved a table here last Thursday. Yancy Ruri.” She says as she shows the waiter a receipt.

Surprised by this, Nate asks her. “Wait, you reserved a table here?”

“Hehe. Don’t you remember? When I said I could cover it, I meant it.”

“Wait, how?”

“With my credit card, of course.” She says as she pulls out said credit card from her purse.

“Funny, ‘cause I brought mine just in case…”

“Ahahahaha. Well, at least now you can keep your promise of splitting the bill again like you said you would.”

“Yeah…”

A few minutes later, the waiter comes back and directs them to a small table located next to a window overlooking the harbor and hands them their menus.

“What a beautiful view…” he says as he looks outside.

“Yeah... I picked this specific table because of it, hehe.”

As they are taken in by the beauty of the night sky from the hotel viewpoint, they are suddenly called back to attention as the waiter returns to their table to take their orders.

“May I take your order, Sir and Ma’am?”

“So, uh, what are you having? I’m kind of stuck between the breaded cutlet and the cream of mushroom soup right now, so could you decide first?” he asks his companion, who looks just as unsure as he is.

“Hmmm, I think I’ll have the…um…let’s see…” she mutters as she continues browsing through the menu.

“Ummm, Nate?”

“Y-yes?”

“W-why don’t we just have both of what you mentioned just now?”

“Are you sure that’s fine? I was just checking out the grilled cheese sandwich…”

After several more minutes, they finally decide on their respective orders, settling with two orders each of the aforementioned cream of mushroom soup and grilled cheese sandwich, in addition to two bottles of non-alcoholic beer. While waiting for their orders to arrive, Nate, out of curiosity and boredom, starts casually conversing with Yancy in order to pass the time.

“So, uh, Yancy…”

“Hm?”

“How did you afford a credit card?”

“Well, let’s just say my manager gave it to me in case of an emergency.”

“Funny, I got mine for the exact same reason, except it was my boss who gave it to me...”

After around 10 minutes of conversing, their orders finally arrive.

“Here, you are Sir and Ma’am: Two grilled cheese sandwiches, two cream of mushroom soups, and two bottles of non-alcoholic beer.” the waiter verifies.

“Yes, that’s us.” He replies.

As soon as the food is put onto their table, both of them then dig in without saying another word, completely preoccupied with the food in front of them. Compared to their favourite café at Join Avenue, the food is, unsurprisingly, much more refined, as expected from a four-star restaurant. Once they finish eating, as promised, they once again split the bill.

“Thanks a lot for introducing me to this place. I really enjoyed the food.” He says to her as they leave the restaurant together.

“Don’t mention it Nate, it’s what I can do for a friend.”

“I…”

Before he can say anything else to her, he notices a familiar face in front of the bakery just beside the entrance. And he notices him first.

“Nate!” His rival Hugh shouts.

“Hugh!? What the heck are _you_ doing here? Don’t tell me you’re here to challenge me again to another battle…”

“Hahaha. As much as I’d like to, I’m kind of preoccupied with the tournament tomorrow. Don’t want to make my Pokemon tired the night before.”

“Okay then... I’ll take your word for it... So, uh, why are you in this hotel then?”

Rather than his best friend being the one to answer the question, another familiar voice joins in on their conversation. “…That’s easy. We’re sharing a room together for the night!”

“ _Rosa!?_ I knew you’d be going here, but sharing a _room_ , **with Hugh**!? What is this, some kind of honeymoon between you two!?”

“Hahahaha! Very funny, Nate, but not even close. It’s just for the tournament tomorrow. Hugh here doesen’t have his own credit card or even the money to afford a room in this city, so I decided to help him out by sharing the room I reserved with him.”

“Right… So you two aren’t dating or anything?”

“Heck, no! It’s just a sleepover like when the three of us were kids, sort of…”

“Sure it is…” Nate says with a smirk on his face.

“Wait a minute.” Rosa interjects. “Didn’t you come here on a date yourself?”

“It’s not a date, it’s…ugh…it’s that she invited me here for dinner…”

“She? You mean your date?” Immediately her expression changes from one of cheerfulness to one of worry.

“Yeah. Why?”

“Well, it’s just that, I thought I saw her going outside just now while we were talking.” This catches Nate’s attention rather quickly and immediately he becomes concerned over his companion’s whereabouts.

 _Darn. I think I’d better catch up to her and see if she’s all right._ “Well, I think I’ll see you two around. I’ve got to go find her.” With this, he waves goodbye to his two friends and makes his way outside.

Fortunately, he manages to catch up to Yancy, who is standing just outside the hotel entrance.

“Yancy, wait up!”

“Nate? What are you doing here? I thought you were talking with your friends.”

“Well, I was, until one of them told me that you left. I got worried about you so I said goodbye to them and now I’m here.”

“Y-you didn’t have to…but, thanks anyway.”

“I hope you can forgive me for what I did just now.”

“It’s fine, really…Umm, actually…I wanted to ask you a favour since it’s still early…”

“And that would be?”

“Would you…um…care to…take a walk in the park next to here to pass the time?”

“Umm, sure. It’s still pretty early, anyway, and my Mom probably wouldn’t mind.”

“T-thanks again, Nate…” She says as she embraces his arm.

“Uh, sure. Don’t mention it…” Nate says with a blush on his face.

After around 2 minutes of walking without saying, they finally make it to the park north of the city. As they stroll around, Yancy suddenly interrupts the silence between them.

“Umm, Nate?”

“Yes, what is it?”

“Is it okay if I ask you something?”

“Uhh, sure?” He said with a puzzled look on his face.

“When do you think is the best time for someone to confess?”

This question for some reason baffles him. “It depends, really. Also depends on what that confession is about…”

“What if it’s a love confession?”

“Uh…Umm…Well…uh…”

“Is something wrong?”

“It’s just that…I’ve confessed to someone else before, and well, um…”

“What happened?”

“I-it didn’t work out, although we did remain good friends. In fact, it was actually the girl you saw earlier with my friend Hugh, my childhood friend Rosa, and it was the day I found your Xtransceiver …”

“I see. If it probably weren’t for her, I don’t think we would have met, hehehe…Well, to be honest, I’ve confessed to someone before, with similar results…”

“Who was he?”

“He was a co-worker and close friend of mine I’ve known ever since I started working…”

“And I’m guessing he also considered you more of a friend than anything else?”

“How did you know?”

“Let’s just say that Rosa did the same thing to me that time…”

“Hehehehe. I guess that means we’ve got a lot more in common than I previously thought… ”

“Yeah…”

A few minutes into their walk, Nate feels a slight tug on his left sleeve.

“Is it okay if we sat down? I need to rest a bit…”

“It’s fine. I was kind of getting tired too.”

After a few seconds, they finally find a park bench conveniently located under a tree, and proceed to sit down, with her leaning on his shoulder. Once they sit down, she asks him another question.

“Nate, do you like me?” she says with her eyes closed and arms wrapped around his arm.

“Of course, I’ve always considered you as a close friend ever since we first started talking.”

“Hehehehe. I’m flattered by your reply, but…”

Before he can do anything, she grabs his shirt by the collar and pulls him closer to her, almost making full physical contact with each other.

“That’s not what I meant.”

“I…I don’t understand…I…”

“Do you love me, Nate?”

“I…I…”

Given her flirtatious tone and the look on her face, it becomes readily apparent to him of the purpose of her question, and for that matter the events that had transpired since the week before. Rather than spit out an answer first, he decides to take another option.

“N-nate!? What are you… _mmph_ …” she says just before Nate pulls her closer to him and kisses her on the lips while maintaining a firm embrace on her. While initially surprised at this turn of events, she quickly gives in to it and returns the favour to him.

They continue kissing and embracing each other passionately for what seems like an eternity, until both of them run out of breath. When they open their eyes and look at each other again, their faces are both flushed in red, both of them having clearly enjoyed what had just transpired between them.

“Yes, Yancy. I do love you!”

“N-nate…” she says with a shocked expression in addition to her already blushing cheeks.

“I’ve loved you ever since I first saw you in the amusement park, but I never truly realized it until you made me confess just now! I’m…I’m sorry for denying it to you this whole time, I really am…”

“Nate…”

“Yancy, could I ask you a question this time?”

Rather than saying ‘yes’ this time around, she nods her head instead, her face still flushed with red.

“I know this may sound a bit awkward, but…Do you… want to be my girlfriend?”

Once she hears this, her mood shifts from one of shock to a mix of reluctance, confusion, and surprise, all the while maintaining an awkward and somewhat suspicious silence. After a few more seconds though, she slightly regains her composure and gives him an answer.

“I…I can’t…” she says with a hint of reluctance.

“What do you mean you can’t? It’s clear by now that you really like me, even to the point that you made me realize that I actually reciprocate those feelings. ”

“Nate, yes, I _do_ like you, but…” she says as she tries to maintain her composure. It’s apparent in her tone that she is about to burst into tears.

“But?” Nate says in a concerned tone.

“I…I…” By now, tears were falling from her already reddening eyes, with Nate growing increasingly concerned and regretful at what he had done just prior.

“Yancy, a-are you ok?”

“I…I’m s-sorry Nate!” immediately after telling him this, she suddenly stands up and runs away, leaving him alone, clueless, and all the more regretful of his actions.

 _Damn damn damn!_ He sulks as he tries to get over his regret. _What did I do wrong? I mean, she was literally asking me if I liked her…No no no no…argh…Should I follow her? Should I call her? Dang it!_

After another apparent eternity, he eventually decides to call it a day and head back home, still regretful and completely clueless over what had transpired between him and Yancy, deciding instead to settle the matter first thing next morning, knowing following her or trying to apologize to her at this time would just make things worse for both of them.


	5. Timeless Fate: Act 3:Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taking place after Nate's botched love confession to Yancy at Driftveil City, he now seeks Rosa's help in cleaning up his apparent mess...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of many chapters originally uploaded to fanfiction.net in 2014

**Chapter 5 Timeless Fate Act 3: Morning**

**_By the time Nate arrives back at his house in Aspertia city, it is well past midnight. Despite his best attempts at a stealthy entry, his mom, who is still awake, notices him._ **

“Nate? What’s wrong?” she says, having noticed his unusual behaviour.

Rather than full-on admit to her what had happened between him and Yancy, he decides to say only half the details. “N-nothing, I’m fine. Just really tired from my meeting with my friend earlier…”

Rather than ask him further due to his obviously foul mood and the tired look on his face, she decides instead to take his word for it for the time being, despite him obviously hiding something, and allows him to call it a night.

**_The next day, Nate gets up from bed early, still feeling immense regret over what had happened the previous night. As he prepares to leave home in order to look for Yancy and apologize to her, he decides on what to do first …_ **

_Alright, alright, Nate, just think straight._ _She just panicked and left me. There has to be some reason she did that… Maybe I should go to her place and talk to her... Yeah…that might help, I hope... But first, I think I should talk to Rosa. She might know what to do, yeah, considering she’s the only person I know who can help me get out of situations like these, well, sort of. Then again, I really have no else to turn to at this point…_

“Well, here goes nothing _ …”  _ He says to himself as he presses the ‘dial’ button on his Xtransceiver.

While initially pessimistic that she would pick up around this time due to either preparing for the upcoming tournament or still being asleep, thankfully she does pick up. What happens next though, takes both of them by surprise.

“Hello, Nate? What is it-eeeek!” she says as she realizes too late that she’s using the picture mode on her side of the call.

“Rosa? I kind of need to ask you a- _ woah _ !” he says before being overcome by the sight in front of him.

Rosa is more or less stark naked in a bed save for her spandex, if her incredibly messed-up hair wasn’t already an indication of what happened the previous night, with Hugh behind her being in a similar predicament. It becomes readily apparent to him that he was right all along- they really were dating. By now, however, he was actually rather happy for them admitting their feelings for one another, he himself having already gotten over that incident since he started to gradually develop feelings for Yancy. And speaking of Yancy, he was far more concerned with her well-being than the awkward sight in front of him.

“S-sorry Rosa! I’ll call you again in a few minutes.”  _ Beep _

A few minutes after hanging up, just as he about to call her again, he is instead surprised by a ringtone alert. When he checks the identity of the caller, as expected, it’s Rosa.

“Hello? Rosa? Sorry for what happened just now. I…”

This time, when he checks her side of the call, she’s in her usual shirt, albeit wrinkled from clearly being thrown to the floor, with her hair tied into a pony tail this time around. “Yeah, yeah, just get it over with…So, Nate, why call me at around 6:30 AM in the morning,  _ hmm _ ?” It’s pretty clear that she’s more than annoyed at him for ruining her apparent intimate moment with his best friend.

“Well, um…uhh…I…”

“You ran into a problem with your date last night, didn’t you?” she snarks.

“H-how did you know?”

“Well, you ran off in a hurry last night looking for Yancy. Does that not count as enough proof that something happened between you two?”

“Wait, how did you know her name was Yancy?”

“She didn’t tell you? We’ve known each other as acquaintances since a few months back. I had a feeling it was her, since I only saw her back when she was leaving when I saw you in the lobby.”

“Huh. Makes sense considering she did tell me a lot of stories about her enjoyment in participating in Musicals, and I even remember her mentioning someone that fitted your description …”

“Yup, that was me. Anyway, that’s beside the point. You called me so I could help you straighten this problem of yours out, right? ”

“Pretty much… I really have no one else to turn to except you on this one…”

“Alright, alright, I’ll forgive you for earlier, since I’m your friend after all, and friends look out for each other …So… what exactly happened between you two last night? I saw that same look on your face when I told you that she left, and I think I might be able to help if you give me all the details of what exactly happened...”

From there, he tells her everything that had happened last night to him in detail, from beginning to end.

“…Wait, you  _ kissed  _ her?”

“I was just getting to that. Her face when she pulled me next to her on that bench, when she was asking me if I loved her, it’s like she was also asking me to kiss her…”

“No wonder you ran into a problem last night, she must’ve thought you were trying to date rape her, hehehe!” she says with a impish smile on her face.

“Rosa, this is serious! Just…just let me finish the details, ok? Sheesh…”

“Yeah, yeah... Alright…”

By the time he tells her the last bits of the story, her tone changes back to seriousness mixed with genuine concern for her friend, with he on the other hand once again filled with regret from having to retell the entire thing to her.

“I see…that  _ is _ kind of depressing …From the looks of it, I think it had something to do with the timing of your confession. Otherwise, it could be something in the lines of a miscommunication, or even something that happened to her in the past. Really, I can’t see any other reasons for that to happen…”

“So, uh…what are you suggesting?”

“Talk to her. In person.” She says with a dead-serious tone.

“But I don’t even know where she…”

“Don’t worry about that. You should be lucky I took down her address a few months back.”

“Wait, how did you find out her address?”

“Acquaintances, remember? Well, a few months back, I needed a place to stay for the night to attend this one late-night Musical, and she gladly lent me the key to her condo unit in nearby Castelia city.”

“She has a condo unit!?” he remarks in surprise. Despite all the stories they’ve been sharing to one another in the past few months, he is still taken aback by this and the fact that she and Rosa are actually acquaintances.

“Well, she said she needed one for her job since her father’s house was far from her workplace.”

“What about the address to her father’s house?”

“I don’t have any info on the latter, but I have a pretty good feeling that she’s in the former. Trust me, I wouldn’t want to talk to anyone after feeling that bad from a date gone horribly wrong.”

“Good point…So, uh… where exactly in Castelia city is this condo unit of hers?”

“Let’s see here…If I remember it’s near Gym Street, the condominiums next to the current Medal office, room number 3002.”

“Alright Rosa, thanks for everything. I’m sorry that I interrupted your morning with Hugh, and for making you miss the World Tournament.”

“Don’t worry about the tournament part. I already decided to skip out on it after a certain someone here forgot to wake me up at 5:00 AM…”

“…Well maybe if you didn’t seduce me last night I wouldn’t have forgotten about it!” Hugh says to her in response. From what Nate could see on the other line, he was wearing an obviously wrinkled

“Heh. Whatever… At least I wasn’t the one who gave in so quickly to temptation.” She replies as she sticks out her tongue at her friend-turned- lover.

“Umm, guys… I’m still here, you know…” Nate butts in.

“Oh, Nate. Almost forgot you were there. S-sorry about that… I’m just a little bit sore over missing out the tournament…” his best friend says in apology.

“I heard that story you told Rosa just now. She’s right, you two really need to talk it over. It may be difficult at first, but that’s part of a relationship. Trust me, I’ve already experienced these kinds of things already with you-know-who here. And to be honest, I kind of feel bad now for interrupting your date with her last night…”

“Don’t worry about it Hugh. I’m not mad at you for last night. I think was partly my fault to begin with…” he says to him reassuringly.

Before Hugh can reply back, Rosa butts in this time around. “Uhh, Hugh, shouldn’t we let Nate here do what he needs to do now?” It becomes pretty apparent from her looks and tone of what she’s saying to the two of them, in both ways no less.

Just as he is about to leave the two lovebirds alone for good, Rosa gives him a last word of advice.

“Oh, Nate, one more thing before you before hang up. Make sure you explain  _ everything _ to her. Just do what I said and things will straighten out between you two. Oh, and if you mess this up and just make things worse, I won’t forgive you for earlier for wasting my time here…” She then promptly hangs up.

_ Sigh.  _ “Well, here goes nothing _ … _ ” he says to himself before sending out his Braviary and flying off.

**_A few minutes later, at Castelia city’s Gym Street…_ **

“Alright, this should be it…” he says to himself as he checks out the building in front of him. True enough, it’s the same building Rosa was referring to. Remembering what Rosa had last told him, he is overcome by feelings of both nervousness from Rosa’s last message and regret from last night’s events. But despite this, he continues on anyway, knowing that his childhood friend was still right, it would make things worse if he didn’t do anything to fix his strained friendship with the girl he now realized he loved, and that the former would never forgive him for what had transpired between them earlier.

As he makes his way into the building, he notices that the atmosphere of the place is relatively simple, despite it looking like a high-class place from the outside. Considering that Yancy is apparently the quiet type around others, it’s no surprise to him that she would pick this kind of place to live in.

Before he can fully grasp the lobby’s atmosphere, a voice from the counter calls his attention.

“Excuse me, sir. How may I be of help?” the guard asks him.

“Umm, I’m looking for a Yancy…”

“…Ms. Ruri? She’s in her unit on the 30 th floor. Just don’t forget to sign the guest list first.”

“Alright, thanks.” He says to the guard as he signs said guest list next to him.

Upon arriving at the door to her unit on the 30 th floor, he knocks on her door furiously, despite his best attempts at maintaining his composure. Eventually, someone answers from the other side.

“H-hold on, I’m coming…” a familiar female voice says as she opens the door.

When she opens the door, both of them are surprised by the sights in front of them. While Nate is stunned at the fact that she’s in her nightwear, white pyjama tops and shorts which complement her currently messy pink hair. She on the other hand is surprised by the fact that he was able to find her condo unit, as well as his mere presence in front of her. For what seems like a few minutes, they continue gazing awkwardly at one another until Yancy breaks the silence between them.

“N-nate!? W-what are you doing here? H-how did you…” she says both with hesitance and surprise.

“Rosa told me…”

“Oh, I see…s-she told you…Actually, I didn’t know you two…knew one another until l-last night…Anyway, w-why exactly did you come to see me?”

“I-I’m here to talk…erm, explain…about…”

“Nate, come in, please…we can talk about it inside…I n-needed to tell you something too…” she says before he can finish explaining.

Once inside, he takes a good look at the inside of her condominium. Like the rest of the building, her unit maintains an aura of simplicity to it, reflecting her calm, quiet, and relaxed personality. The living room is surprisingly simple, the walls being lined with wooden picture frames containing paintings depicting pokémon from other regions, with a flat screen TV surrounded by three wooden couches and a coffee table in the centre. The kitchen on the other hand is dominated by a white finish, albeit with the addition of violet tiles on the floor. The dining room, which is in-between, is dominated by a large rectangular table covered with white cloth, surrounded by several similar-looking chairs. Finally, the hallway which leads to the master’s bedroom is overlooked by a large glass sliding door leading to the balcony. 

As they make it to the centre of the living room, she turns around to face him.

“Nate, p-please…sit down…” She says. With this he sits right next to her on the largest couch facing towards the TV, more-or-less similar to how they were sitting on the park bench.

“Yancy, I…”

Before he can continue any further, she stops him again in his tracks. “A-actually, I should be the one to apologize f-for last night…”

“Y-you don’t have to…”

“No Nate…it’s…it’s…my…” she says as tears begin to flow from her eyes once more. Out of immediate concern for her, he moves closer and holds her.

“Y-Yancy?”

“I-I…I’m sorry…”

“Sorry?”

“N-nate…I shouldn’t have…run away…I shouldn’t have left…you there…” by now she was clearly letting her negative emotions out into his chest, her eyes turning red once more. Unlike last time, however, this time it was out of genuine feelings for him.

“W-what do you mean?”

“I-I…if y-you think I’m mad at you…for…I-last night…I’m…not…” she says to him in-between her fits of sobbing “I f-feel so stupid…for…f-for…leaving y-you like that…I…I think y-you must hate me…for leaving you like that…”

“I don’t.”

“N-nate?”

“I don’t hate you. To be honest, I thought it was my own fault for making you cry. Until just now…I was filled with nothing but remorse…”

“Nate…T-thank you…”

…

When she finally manages to regain her composure a few minutes later, she gets up from his lap and confesses to him everything that had happened, including the reason why she ran away from him.

“…Off…guard!? You mean…you weren’t expecting me to…”

“I only e-expected you to confess to me that night, not for you to suddenly kiss me … _ Although _ … ehehe, t-to be honest… I really enjoyed it … I wouldn’t mind if we… ” she stops as she apparently realizes something.

Immediately after this, she glances aside, apparently unsure of what to tell him next. 

“Umm…?” she asks all of a sudden. “C-could you, uh…move closer to me? I need to tell you something…” 

“Uh, sure…?”

As he gets closer to where she’s sitting, she whispers something to him. “Please, Nate. Hold me…”

“H-huh!? W-wait, what are you-” 

Before he can do anything, she wraps herself in his arms and gets even closer to him, to the point that they are almost face-to-face with another. Without second thought, she presses her lips against his. While initially surprised at her actions, he eventually gives in, knowing that there was no point in resisting. More or less, it was a repetition of what had transpired last night, albeit with her kissing him first instead of the other way around.

For what seems like another apparent eternity, they kiss each other passionately until both of their faces are flushed in red from having running out of breath.

After a few seconds, they both admit their true feelings to one another while firmly embraced.

“Nate. I love you…and thank you…”

“Yancy, I love you too…”

A few minutes later, once they manage to recover from their breathlessness, she then offers him to stay over for breakfast, which he politely accepts. As with the food she had prepared during their lunch date, the Belue berry pancakes she prepares this time around are just as well-made.

“Wow, Yancy. These are great!” he tells her after finishing his second plate of pancakes.

“I’m glad you really like them, ahaha. I put all my love into making them, just like last time.”

“I can tell.” He says before enjoying another piece.

A few hours later, after both of them finish eating and cleaning up, they decide to continue spending the day together, she having already informed her boss about skipping work for the day due to “not feeling well” from the other night.

“…S-say, Nate…” she says hesitantly.

“Hm? Is something wrong again?”

“Ahahaha, n-not really… I just wanted to ask you something: do you umm…remember last night, when you asked me if I wanted to, ahaha…b-be your girlfriend?”

“Y-yeah, w-wait… why are you asking me this thing agai-… uhh…wait, what are you…!?” while still at a loss for words, she grabs him and pulls herself closer to him, catching him in her arms in a firm embrace. This causes him to blush both out of both surprise and at the awkwardness of their positions.

“In truth, I’m actually ok with it…” she mutters to him as she continues in her firm embrace.

“Huh? C-could you repeat…that…last one?”

“I’m your girlfriend now.”

“Y-yancy. I- I don’t know…Honestly, I don’t know what to say right now…”

“You don’t have to say anything, ahaha. I just…want to share every moment with you from now on…”

And, just like that, they were now officially a couple. Soon after letting go from their embrace, they set off on their first date together, now as boyfriend and girlfriend.


	6. Twist of Fate: Act 1: Foreshadowing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nate and Yancy are now officially dating. But now things begin to get interesting as the Castelia Comic Con takes place. What secrets lie in store for our new couple?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of many chapters originally uploaded to fanfiction.net in 2014.

**Chapter 6: Twist of fate, Act 1: Foreshadowing**

**_Two days later, at Nate’s exclusive dressing room in Pokéstar Studios, just after concluding the day’s shooting for the upcoming comic book crossover film_** **Brycen Man vs. The Sneasel Ninja** ** _, as well as the fourth addition to the_** **Mystery Doors of the Magical Land** ** _series,_** **Mystery Doors of the Magical Land:** **Return of the Witch Queen** ** _. Like her childhood friend before her, Rosa had also begun acting at around the same time the former did at Pok’estar Studios, having chosen to act mainly in the fantasy genre under the stage name “Whi-Two”._**

“So, what happened after that?” Rosa asks her childhood friend while relaxing on his couch.

“Well, if you’re that curious, she just told me she was my girlfriend, and that was it. Other than that, we were acting like nothing changed between us. Well, save for holding hands and kissing...” He replies to her as he continues trying out his Sneasel Ninja costume.

“By the way…”

“Hm?”

“What are you still trying out that costume for? I thought you just concluded filming for today?”

“You didn’t listen to that announcement earlier, did you? Didn’t Mr. Deeoh tell you that they’re promoting our upcoming films at the Castelia City Comic Con later this week? And that we’ll both be in costume for interviews and autographs?”

“Oh yeah... Now that you mention it, I think I got too caught up with shooting for my own film earlier to remember…”

“ _ Sigh _ …Considering how flushed you look, I’m not surprised…”

Suddenly, Rosa gets up from the sofa, apparently remembering something.

“Oh, Nate! I just had this good idea come to me. ”

“Hm?”

“Don’t you think it would be great if you brought Yancy to this year’s comic con? The fact that Elesa’s gonna cosplay at this year’s convention, there’s no reason she wouldn’t want to go. Not to mention that she’s a huge fan of the  _ Mystery Doors _ series.”

“Come to think of it, that  _ does _ sound like a good idea. But if I remember correctly, I think she has work on that day…”

“Why not call her now, just to be sure?”

“I don’t know, I think she’s probably…Wait, what are you doi- H-hey! Give that back!” Out of nowhere, his childhood friend grabs his Xtransceiver from his desk. Immediately, he manages to overpower her, but not before she manages to dial his pink-haired girlfriend’s number in…

“W-why did you do that!?”

“I just think you need some motivation. From what I’ve observed so far, you’re treating her too delicately.”

“I get your point, I do... B-but still…is that what you call “motivation”!?”

“Well, I just think you need to ask her just in case…”

Before he can reply, the line on the other end comes to life. As expected, it’s Yancy’s voice who answers. What he sees on the other line though catches his attention. Instead of her usual clothes, she’s wearing what appears to be here working outfit. While he’s seen it two times before, both by accident, on this occasion he was able to catch a decent glimpse of it, revealing that it was vaguely similar to Rosa’s “schoolgirl” outfit from one of her earlier films.

“Y-yancy?”

“Hm? Nate? Why did you call me at this t-AHHHHHHHHHH!!!”

“Wha-OH SHOOT! My costume… S-sorry, I’ll erm… c-call you back...”  _ Beep _

“So? How did it go? I’m guessing she must have, hehehe, _stunned_ by your costume, ahahahaha. ”

“You know what, let’s just never speak of this…”

Just then, they are interrupted by a knock on the door.

“Oh, Ms. Rosa, there you are! Mr. Deeoh wanted to see you in his office.” Mr. Deeoh’s assistant tells his childhood friend.

“Oh yeah, almost forgot about that…”

“About what?” Nate interjects.

“Well, you’re not the only one who’s getting a booth for the convention. It’s just another reason to ask her to come. Well, anyway Nate, see you around.”

Before he could say ‘see you later’ to her, the assistant returns and addresses him. “Oh, Mr. Nate, I almost forgot. Mr. Deeoh told me that you’ll be having a scheduled interview at the convention with Nancy from the Celebrity Channel.”

“Alright, thanks for informing me.” Upon finishing his message, he asks the assistant. “Uhhh…could I ask you one more thing?”

“And that would be, sir?”

“Did you say that Nancy would be interviewing me? As in  _ that _ Nancy from the  _ Gym Leader Inquirer _ show?”

“That’s right, sir. That Nancy. Is there a problem?”

“Uh, erm…not really. I was just…king of wondering.”

“Ah, I see. Well, I have to go Mr. Nate. Mr. Deooh’s expecting me back at his office.” With that, the assistant once again leaves him.

**_A few minutes later, after changing back to his regular clothes, the assistant comes back and hands him over an envelope. When he checks it out, it is revealed to be a schedule for the comic convention…_ **

“Darn, looks like I won’t be able to bring her after all… _ Sigh _ …Not with this schedule…” he tells himself as he checks said schedule for the upcoming comic con.

After finally coming to the conclusion that there was indeed no allotted free time on the day of the convention, he decides to call her again as he had promised her earlier. However, just as he is about to, his Xtransceiver rings.

“Well, I guess I could at least…Hm? What’s this? ”

When he checks the caller’s identity, he is surprised to see that his rose-haired girlfriend on the line.

“N-nate, I’m s-sorry for earlier…”

“You don’t need to apologize for earlier… I should be the one to apologize for what happened earlier…”

**_A short while later, after explaining everything that had transpired during that awkward call…_ **

“…So t-that was your uh, er…” _ working costume _ ”?”

“Errr…Sort of…I can’t really…well…spill the details on that…It’s…kind of a company trademark…”

“D-don’t worry about that, I wasn’t really…erm…eh… interested…ehehehe…”

…

“…Rosa just had this idea in mind earlier. She said it’d be great if I brought you to this year’s Castelia Comic Con and…”

“A-about that... To be honest, I actually do want to go. I thought of asking you, but unfortunately, I learned that have an appointment on that day…”

“So…you really can’t go?  _ Sigh _ …I knew it…”

“(Damn you Rosa, I knew this was a bad idea. But you just had to…)”

Just as he finishes muttering to himself, Yancy speaks up again. “Umm, actually…”

“Hm?”

“I think I just might be able to make it there, if a little bit late. I just received an updated schedule from one of my co-workers just now, and I think I should be able to meet you around 5:00PM.”

“5:00 PM, huh? It’s fine as long as you’re available. So, where do we meet up?”

“How about…erm…uh…Ah, I know! How about we meet near the convention center? I know this prominent café nearby where we can....”

“Th…that sounds great.”

“Ahahaha, t-thanks. To be honest, I was afraid that you’d think it was a terrible idea…”

“I’m just glad that Rosa’s advice actually paid off again…”

“Ahahahaha, you can say that again.”

…

**_For several minutes, they continue talking to one another, enjoying each other’s company as time passed. Upon realizing that it was getting late, they both decide to call it a day before saying ‘goodbye’ to one another._ **

**_A few hours later, at the Virbank Gym’s music club …_ **

“…See? What did I tell you? My idea worked out, right?” Rosa cheerfully tells his childhood friend over a bottle of non-alcoholic beverage.

“Yeah, yeah…” he replies before taking a sip himself. “By the way…”

“Yeah?”

“Did you happen to be informed about having a scheduled interview during the convention?”

“No. I was only told that I’d be expecting a few scheduled photoshoots with professional photographers and journalists. Why are you asking?”

“Well, um…about that. I was told earlier by Mr. Deooh’s assistant that a certain Miss Nancy would be interviewing me and…”

“Wait, you mean Nancy from the celebrity channel?”

“Yes, that…”

“Darn, you’re lucky to be interviewed by her. Others would sell their souls just to be interviewed on her show!”

“Well, um...it’s not that I’m worried about.”

“Wait, you’re worried? Why?”

“Well, about what happened earlier on the Xtransceiver. I know it might seem a little…far-fetched, but I have a feeling that my girlfriend is Nancy.”

“Hahahahaha! That’s a good one Nate. I’ve known her as long as you did and I can tell you one thing- she’s too shy to even appear onstage whenever I participate in a Musical with her. And I think you know that too, since you’re her boyfriend after all.”

“Well, maybe you’re right. I’ll take your word for it… I think I’ve just had too much going around my mind today to think clearly… _ Sigh _ …”


	7. Twist of Fate: Act 2: The Reveal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Castelia Comic Con is taking place! Nate and Yancy both attend the con, but not for a date. What exactly are they hiding from one another?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of several chapters originally uploaded to fanfiction.net around 2014.

**Chapter 7: Twist of Fate, Act 2: The Reveal**

**_A few days later, at Nate’s house, 4 hours before the start of the Castelia Comic Con…_ **

“Don’t tell me, another fan e-mail? Maybe I shouldn’t have used my private account… _ sigh… _ ” Nate sulks himself as he checks out an alert from his desktop.

Upon closer inspection, he notices an “urgent” typed in bold and all caps, with a sender being one “Pokéstar Studios management”.

_ “Nate, _

_ I’ve just been updated on that upcoming interview of yours from the Celebrity Channel. Looks like the host and one of the producers requested to do a taped interview instead of a live one for unspecified reasons. I’ve also been given the specified time and location which I’ll inform you on later at the convention proper. Make sure to get there before 1PM, as you’ll be onstage later for the Debut Trailer of  _ Brycen Man vs The Sneasel Ninja _. Otherwise, you’re free to go around. Enjoy the convention! _

_ Mr. Stu Deeoh, Pokéstar Studios” _

“Well, that’s a relief…” He tells himself.  _ I wonder though…Why would they change my scheduled interview at the last minute from a live to a taped one? Then again, they’ve been known to change things like this as far as I remember…Darn, maybe Rosa was right, I’ve been overthinking things too much these past few days… _

_ … _

**_A few hours later, at the Castelia City Convention Centre…_ **

**_By the time he arrives, a long line has built up at the front of the building. This is no big surprise, as this event is one of the largest of its kind in the region, with millions of people flocking to Castelia just for this event._ **

Noticing the line, he proceeds to bring out one of the two VIP passes that had been issued to him and Rosa for just such an occasion. “Now where did I put my VIP pass? Darn, did I…Ahh, there you are!” He says as he manages to pull it out from his bag.

Rather than go through the front gate (which he had learned the hard way the year before was a timely and pointless way to go), he decides to go for one of the smaller side entrances. After a few more minutes of walking around the building, he finally manages to stumble upon a VIP entrance located on a side alley.

Immediately, he is stopped by one of the security guards posted there. “Umm, excuse me sir, but this is a restricted area.” However, upon noticing his VIP pass, he immediately apologizes.

“Sorry sir. We thought you were another one of those Pokémaniacs trying to sneak in. Welcome to the Castelia Comic Con!”

Upon entering where the convention proper was being held, he becomes awestruck by the lineup of items on sale at the booths, and begins to check out said booths. He ends up with buying several things in the process, including several issues of the  _ Lucario Kid _ comics, as well as an action figure of the comic book version of the  _ Sneasel Ninja _ .

After another hour of enjoying the place, including a chance encounter (including a casual Pokémon battle) with Hugh, a familiar voice calls out to him amongst the crowd. When he turns around, Yancy embraces him.

“Huh? W-what are you doing here? I thought you said we’d meet this after-…”

“Well, my boss let me have some time off for myself this morning since my appointment won’t until this afternoon. And, considering this convention center is near my workplace…ahahaha… I decided to meet you early.” She says as she clasps his hand. “I’ll make it up to you for not calling you earlier with this… _ Mwaah _ .” Following this, she brings out a small box from her bag which she immediately hands over to him.

“What’s this, something you prepared for me?”

“Mmmhmm. It’s a slice of Belue berry pie.”

“Why, t-thank you…You made this yourself?”

“Y-yeah, I did…”

“Hm? Is something wrong?”

“Ummm…”

“Is it that…you want me to share it with you? I kind of guessed since you were looking at this box you just gave me and…”

Instead of saying yes, she simply nods at him, her face flushed in red.

“Don’t worry. I don’t mind sharing. After all, I think you deserve a taste of something you made.”

“T-thanks again Nate…”

And from there, the two of them started going around, talking about different things along the way. After having lunch together (including sharing the pie), they decide to part ways, with Nate reporting to the  _ Brycen Man vs. the Sneasel Ninja _ booth.

“There you are.” Mr. Stu Deeoh tells the newly-arrived superhero movie actor in front of him. “Enjoying the convention I see. Well, that’s good. Now that you’re here, it’s time for PokéStar studios to play its grand part in the events. Now go and change into your costume, don’t wanna keep those fans of yours waiting, do you?”

Just as he leaves for the dressing room, Mr. Deooh calls him again.

“Oh, one more thing before I forget, Nate. You’ve gotta be in that Sneasel Ninja costume of yours for that interview later! Celebrity Channel’s request.”

“With the mask, boss?”

“It’s fine without the mask, just as long as you appear in that costume.”

**_Later, after changing into his Sneasel Ninja costume, Nate, using his stage alias “Lack-two”, heads to the stage at the far end of the convention center. There, he, along with Rosa (dressed in her “Princess” outfit from the upcoming_ ** **Mystery Doors** **_sequel), begin the first day’s major events by hosting the opening ceremony for the cosplay competition. Later, they return to their respective booths to showcase and promote the latest trailers for their respective movies, as well as accepting autographs and picture takings in-between._ **

A few hours in, Rosa, who was taking a break from signing autographs, notices a familiar face amongst the crowd of people near her booth. 

“Wait, isn’t that…?” she says as she manages to get a good look at the person in question, confirming her suspicions at said person’s identity: Yancy. Rather than say ‘hello’ to her, and out of curiosity, she decides to follow the latter, avoiding crowds of people, and her own fans, along the way.

Eventually, she manages to catch up to her. What she sees next catches her completely by surprise, also giving a hint as to what the nature of her job, which she had been mentioning to both her and her boyfriend, really is.

“N-no way…It can’t be…”

Immediately, she tries to contact her childhood friend using her own Xtransceiver, to no avail.

…

**_Meanwhile, on another side of the convention center, at Nate’s respective booth…_ **

“Mr. Nate that Celebrity Channel interview of yours is up soon!” a Pokéstar studios staff member informs the young superhero movie star.

“(Oh yeah, the interview with that Nancy woman)…I’ll be there in a minute! Umm, wait…Which room was it again!?”

“Let’s see here…According to this final schedule…Its VIP Room 4-A sir!”

“Room 4-A…Alright, thanks!”

In his rush to get to the venue on time, he leaves his Xtransceiver at the booth.

...

“Come on, why aren’t you answering!? Pick up already…” By now, she has been trying to call him three times.

“Rosa, what are you doing here?” a familiar voice calls out from behind.

“N-Nate, there you are! I need to tell you something!”

“Tell me something? What is i-“

Just then, their conversation is interrupted when a man comes out of the VIP room.

“You must be Lack-Two, right?” the man asks the young actor.

“Yes, that’s right.” He replies.

“It’s nice to finally meet you in person. I’m the executive producer for Miss Nancy’s talk show. ” He says as he shakes his hand. “ Come, let’s get started.

“B-but…” Rosa mutters.

“You can tell me later, Rosa. Right now I’ve got to finish this interview.” Her childhood friend replies before heading into the VIP room.

“B-but Nate, it’s about …Oh Arceus…I should have told him sooner…I’ve got a bad feeling about this …”

…

“Well Mr. Lack-Two” the producer says to the latter “before we start with the interview, maybe I should properly introduce you to Miss Nancy herself. I’m guessing this is your first time to be on her show?”

“Yes, actually... I’ve been hearing about how a lot of people would sell their souls just to be where I am right now.”

“Well, hahaha, who wouldn’t. Her talk show is one the highest-rated programs in the region, so it’s no big surprise for other to say that.”

Immediately following this, he leads the young actor further in. When they reach the set, he is greeted by a seemingly familiar face and voice.

“Hello. It’s nice to meet you.” The pink-haired girl in an idol singer outfit says. “Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Nan-…ehh?… That costume…could it be…No, it can’t be…”

“Wait, don’t tell me you’re who I think you are…”

After what seems like an eternity of awkward silence between them, a stark realization sets in as both of them realize the other’s identity behind the celebrity facade…

“YANCY!? Y-you’re Nancy!?”

“NATE!? Y-you’re Lack-Two!?”

…

“So…it really was her…” Rosa says as she hears the screaming and panicking from the other side, confirming her suspicions. “To think that she was able to hide it from me and Nate for so long, and then Nate being right about it, I’m such a fool…Then again, we’ve kind of been doing the same thing as she did…I just hope that their relationship doesn’t get affected by this…”


	8. Twist of Fate: Act 3: Confessions and Secrets, Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nate's and Yancy's double lives are brought to light! What else could they both be hiding?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally uploaded to fanfiction.net between late 2014 and early 2015.

**Chapter 8: Twist of Fate Act 3: Confessions and Secrets, Part 1**

**_Previously in Chapter 7…_ **

“YANCY!? Y-you’re Nancy!?”

“NATE!? Y-you’re Lack-Two!?”

…

Immediately following this stunning revelation, an awkward silence hangs within the room as the two of them are still petrified by complete surprise and disbelief. The silence is suddenly broken when the producer speaks up.

“So, you two have actually met before?”

“Well, you see…” Nate/Lack-Two replies “She’s my…we’re…”

“…He’s my boyfriend sir.” Yancy suddenly interjects. “We met each other a few months back, and we started dating just around a week ago…”

“Hahaha…I see…” The producer says cheerfully. “I think that was kind of obvious when you two were behaving like that just now. Well, now that it turns out you already know my niece, I think maybe we could get this show on the road?”

“Your niece? Wait, you two are relatives?” Nate/Lack-Two suddenly asks.

“Oh, sorry Mr. Lack-Two. I forgot to formally introduce myself. I’m Mr. Zachary Ruri, Nancy’s uncle. My older brother, aka her father, is the owner of the beach resort in the Undella bay area.”

“I see…” Nate/Lack two replies.  _ No wonder she was able to afford that condo unit and a credit card just like mine. Her family must own a fortune… _

“Umm, uncle, Nate...” Nancy suddenly interrupts the two “Do you think we could get this over with? I still have an autograph signing and the awarding ceremony for the cosplay competition…”

“Uhhh…Right then.” Mr. Zachary says.

**_Despite the awkward tension between them at first, the interview is pulled off without any trace of nervousness or awkwardness between the two of them, both of them maintaining a sense of composure and professionalism._ **

“And, that about wraps it up….” a Celebrity Channel staff member says.

“Nice job, everyone.” Another staff member announces.

“Thank you so much for answering our request to be on our show.” Mr. Zachary tells Nate as he shakes his hand. “I’m sorry that my niece acted the way she did earlier…”

“It’s fine, really…” he reassures her uncle. “I’ve known her for quite some time, so it’s no problem for me.”

“Well, that’s good to hear. I’m glad to see that she met someone like you. Her career has improved a lot ever since she met you. ”

“Ehehe… thank you very much, Sir.”

“Oh yes, before you go, there’s one more thing I’d like to ask.”

“Hm?”

“She never told you anything about her work as a celebrity until now?”

“Well, I always had this feeling that she was hiding something, even after she became my girlfriend. Though, to be fair… I think I should have told her the nature of my job as well sooner, so I think I’m no different…I should probably apologize to you…”

“Don’t worry, there’s no need. I can understand what both of you have to go through. But, if I were you, I’d talk with her to clear things up. I wouldn’t want to hide everything from my girlfriend.”

“I understand, sir. I’ll make sure to talk to her as soon as I can.” Before leaving, the producer shakes the young actor’s hand as a sign of gratitude.

**_By the time he leaves the convention center, it is around later afternoon, with the area outside still packed with hundreds of people, most of them being cosplayers talking amongst themselves or having their pictures taken, as well as Pokémaniacs from different regions showing off various collections of both actual Pokémon and Pokémon-related merchandise. As he makes his way past the crowds, a familiar voice catches his attention…_ **

“Hey Nate! Wait up!” Rosa shouts.

As she approaches him, she asks him something “So, how did it go?”

“Are you talking about the interview proper or what happened before that? If you’re asking about the former, it went …smoothly. As for the latter, well…”

“Not that. I mean…what did you buy at the convention earlier? I mean, you didn’t just go there to show off now, did you?”

“*Sigh*…Fine, fine I’ll tell you…Not much, just a few comic books and a Sneasel Ninja figure. What about you?”

“Just a limited edition 1/8 scale figure of me as the Princess from the first  _ Mystery Doors _ film…”

“Lucky…”

Suddenly, her tone changes “Also…”

“Hm?”

“About earlier…To be honest, I was actually worried that something might have happened back there…”

“So you knew beforehand that she was …”

“There were hints that she was hiding something, but I never took the hint. Honestly, I never really expected someone like her to actually be a famous celebrity like us, much less… I was just as caught off-guard as you were.”

Suddenly, they are interrupted by a familiar noise.

“Well…Aren’t you going to answer her?”

“O-oh yeah... Right…” he says as he answers the call.

“About earlier…” his girlfriend says apologetically.

“Don’t worry about it. We can talk about it later.”

“About that…Could we meet instead at the pier near SkyArrow Bridge instead? You can ask why later…Well, see you...” She then hangs up before he can reply.

“So, what did she tell you?”

“Well, she simply told me to meet her at the pier nearest to SkyArrow Bridge.”

“That’s Thumb Pier.” Rosa remembers.

“Thumb Pier? Got it.” He then starts dashing off to the other side of the city, only for his childhood friend to call him out.

“Wait, you’re going now?”

“Yeah.” He replies. “I made a promise earlier to her uncle that I’d talk with her as soon as I could.” He then rushes off for real.

“Jeez, to think he would leave like that without saying goodbye…Then again, I think I deserved it for doing that to him… _ sigh… _ ”

**_After several minutes of walking through the busy streets of Castelia city, he finally makes it to Thumb Pier. However, thanks to the convention taking a toll on him, by the time he makes it there, he is more or less exhausted and barely able to keep himself up._ **

“Here it is… _ pant…pant… _ Thumb…Pier… _ pant _ …”

“Here, take this.” A familiar voice says, handing out a bottle of Fresh Water to him.

“H-huh?” As he looks up, he is greeted by an all too familiar face.

“Don’t push yourself too hard. “ Yancy tells him worriedly. “Come on, rest here.” She then leads him to a nearby bench.

“I should probably apologize to you for not telling you these things sooner-…”

“Rest first. We can talk about it later. To be honest, I should be the one to apologize for hiding things from you these past few months…And I have something to confess.”

“Y-yeah, what is it?” he says before gulping down half the bottle.

“Do you happen to remember that time when I confessed to you a few days ago? Well, I have to admit something.”

“…And that would be?” he asks puzzled. By then he manages to finish the entire bottle.

“W-well…how should I put this...That wasn’t my first kiss…”

“H-huh?” This genuinely shocks him for a moment. “Y-you mean you were dating someone before you met me? W-why are you telling me this now?”

“That was part of the reason I ran away that night. And, the answer to your question is no… I wasn’t dating anyone prior. You’re my first boyfriend. And I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you this earlier. I nearly caused you to think that I hated you for that.”

“I see…I guess it must have been a traumatic experience for you. Oh, sorry…”

“It’s fine…And, w-well…you could call it that…I have to admit it was a bit traumatic…C-could we stop talking about this? I don’t feel like this is the right time to tell you this…”

“Would it be fine if I told you my past then?”

“H-huh? W-wait, I didn’t mean it like that…Y-you don’t have to…”

“I… promised your uncle that I’d clear things up with you. I feel that hiding any more things from you is meaningless, and that you’d probably think the wrong way if we both continued hiding from each other…”

“Nate…I see. But, would it be okay if we talked about this over dinner? I know a good place.”

**_A few hours later, at a café near her condo unit…_ **

“…To think you were the Unova League Champion” she says as she checks out his Trainer Card, which confirms everything. “…But, why did you resign? And how did you end up taking an acting career?”

“That’s…well…kind of a long story.”

“That’s fine. After all, it’s not like we’re in any hurry or anything.”

“Well…if you really want to hear it then…”

“I’d like to hear the whole thing.”

Rather than reply, he silently nods as he continues narrating the rest of his story to her.

…

**_To be continued in Part 4…_ **


	9. Twist of Fate: Act 4: Confessions and Secrets, Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following the events of the Castelia Comic Con's first day, Nate and Yancy recall their past experiences to one another over dinner at a nearby cafe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally uploaded in early 2015 on fanfiction.net

**Chapter 9: Twist of Fate Act 4: Confessions and Secrets, Part 2**

…

“I’d like to hear the whole thing.” she tells him.

Rather than reply, he silently nods as he continues narrating the rest of his story to her.

…

_ Well, it was almost a year ago, I had just defeated the then-League Champion Iris. But… I wasn’t satisfied with just being the Champion of the Unova Region. No, I wanted to prove myself to the entire world, and eventually become the strongest trainer. And so, I decided to accept an invitation from Clay to the Pokemon World Tournament in Driftveil City. At first, I was defeating people left and right, which in turn helped boost my already-legendary reputation as a Pokémon Trainer. After making it through the World Leaders Tournament, I finally managed to make it into the Champions tournament. Like the last few tournaments before It, I was able to battle and eventually defeat some of the strongest Trainers from around the world. That was, until I came face-to-face with Red, the real Champion and the strongest Trainer from Kanto. At first, I was confident I could defeat him just like I did with Blue and Lance, but after just five minutes I was already backed into a corner, and I lost eventually despite fainting two of his Pokémon. _

**_Almost a year ago, at the Pokémon World Tournament in Driftveil City_ ** _ … _

_ “Announcing the winners of the semi-finals round…”  _ The announcer says over the loudspeaker. _ “Red vs Cynthia: This is yet another victory for the Legendary Trainer of Kanto! Next up, Steven vs. Nate: Nate racks up another victory almost effortlessly!” _

_ “So…Which Trainer will win the Champions Tournament?”  _

**_Meanwhile, at the back of the arena…_ **

_ This is it Nate…The big day.  _ Nate thinks as he readies his Pokémon. “Here I come, Red. If I defeat him, I’ll be hailed as the next Ethan, and I’ll be known as one of the few people who took on the legendary true Champion of Kanto, and won.”

**_A few minutes later…As the battle with Red continues, Nate manages to knock out the latter’s Pikachu and Venusaur, leaving only his Charizard able to fight. Confident that the battle is almost over, he_ **

“Haxorus, finish him off with a Rock Slide!”

However, just as the Dragon type Pokémon is about to execute the final blow, his opponent’s Pokémon starts glowing weirdly…

“W-what the..?”

“Charizard, Dragon Pulse!”

“Wow, Red’s Charizard just knocked out Nate’s Haxorus in one hit! Is this the true strength of the legendary Champion of Kanto!?”

“D-darn it…” Nate says as his last Pokemon is struggling against Red’s Mega Charizard X.

_ I n-never expected that. J-just what is that thing? I-it wiped out my Haxorus in one hit! _

…

“Eventually” Nate interrupts his story “I did find out what kind of trick it was, something called “Mega Evolution”, which if I remember correctly was something exclusive to Kalos and until recently, Hoenn thanks to a few recent findings. Turns out he got the stone from a certain expert on Pokémon. I think his name was…um…Fuji. “

“You mean Mr. Fuji of Kanto?” she asks with curiosity. “If I remember, he’s a person who’s known for taking care of orphaned Pokémon.”

“Well, I never really paid any attention to any additional info. All that mattered at the time was that I had seriously underestimated him.” He then promptly continues on.

…

**_Despite the tide turning against the Unova Champion, the latter refuses to give up in the midst of overwhelming strength from his opponent._ **

“You may have that trick up your sleeve…” he boasts to Red “but I’m not done yet!”

Rather than reply back, his opponent simply maintains his stoic composure.

“Charizard, use Dragon Pulse!” Sure enough, his attack is more than enough to finish off the already exhausted Formidable Pokémon.

“S-Samurott!”

“Nate’s Samurott is down!” the referee says “Red is the winner!”

…

_ Yeah, sure he said I gave him a tough time and a good fight, but my reputation was already sealed after that loss. It wasn’t the same no matter how many times I kept winning after that, and I eventually decided to resign as Champion and do a little soul searching. At first, I couldn’t think of what to do now that I had faded into obscurity. But then I remembered being introduced to Pokestar Studios back when I began as a Trainer, so I decided to try my luck there. Fortunately for me, when I made my big-screen debut in the first  _ Lucario Kid  _ film, the director liked my acting style enough that he instantly said “yes” and accepted my offer to continue playing the part of my favorite superhero. _

“…I see…So that’s how you ended up the way you are now.” she interjects.

“Well, kind of. My first film,  _ Brycen Man,  _ was a moderate success. And from there my reputation as a superhero movie actor grew with each subsequent production. But my first real box office hit was  _ Full Metal Cop _ , where I played the role of the noble thief turned anti-hero Sneasel Ninja. And, of course you probably know the rest.”

“I can probably understand what you went through during that battle with Red…”

“How so?” he asks puzzled.

“Well, you do know that I’m pretty good at Pokémon Musicals right? Back when I began watching them as a kid, I had this dream of becoming a celebrity and making a lot of friends. I decided to learn the tricks of the trade by going to another region. At first, my parents were reluctant since they wanted me to inherit the resort…”

“Wait…” he interrupts “Did you just say that your parents wanted you to inherit…a resort?”

“Oh, I almost forgot.” she remembers “I didn’t tell you until now…”

“…About what?”

“If you’ve probably noticed how I can afford an expensive unit or a meal at one of the most expensive hotels in Driftveil before, it’s not just because of my job as a TV host. My father owns one of the more famous resorts in Undella town. And my uncle, who you’ve already met, is his younger brother.”

“So let me get this straight…You were able to afford that condo unit of yours because your family could easily afford it and not because of your job as a TV host and idol?”

“Pretty much…My dad sends me money every now and then to help me continue my job here in Castelia. The money I get from my job as an idol and TV show host usually goes to my younger brother and sister in order to support their studies in Kalos. My credit card, if you’re curious, is from my uncle, who I mentioned before is also my manager.”

“Figures, considering I got mine in a similar fashion…well, except for the relative part… By the way…I do remember you talking about your siblings just now. Are these your younger brother and sister you kept mentioning to me before?”

“Yup, that’s them. Right now they’re on vacation and staying at our family’s villa back in Undella town.”

“I see…Maybe you should bring me with you there some time. I’ve been to Undella several times and I think it would be good if I formally introduced myself to your parents.”

“I think I can arrange for that some time, but I think maybe I should introduce myself to your parents first…”

“That’s fine by me. I could even bring you by my house if you have time. My mom’s always home early, after all. My dad’s currently away on a business trip in Kanto, so he won’t be back for something like a month or two.”

“T-thanks Nate…I really appreciate your concern.”

Shortly thereafter, she continues finishing the rest of her story to him.

…

_ When I was young, my parents enrolled me in an exclusive school for those with musical and/or artistic talent. This was where I was first introduced to the world of Pokémon Contests and Musicals, and where I learned how to sing. Back then, I didn’t have a lot of friends. So I made it my goal in life to become famous and make a lot of friends through becoming a Pokémon Coordinator. As I mentioned before, my parents initially didn’t want me to leave Unova. But, as my soon my uncle learned about it, he decided to be the one to support me, on the condition that I put what I’ve learned to good use, which of course I kept. _

_ In this case, my uncle decided to bring me with him to the Hoenn region, as he knew the right person to help me realize the full potential of my talent. Her name was Lisia, a Pokémon Coordinator known for being the number one Contest Star in Hoenn, and if remember is also related to a Gym Leader from the same region. Unlike most of her mentees whom she usually selects on her  _ Contest Scouting _ show, I was personally introduced to her by my uncle. _

**_More than two years ago, at Lilycove City in the Hoenn region…_ **

“It’s been a while hasn’t it, Lisia?” Zachary says to the young woman in front of him.

“Oh, Mr. Ruri!” she replies cheerfully. “Sorry I couldn’t visit Unova this year. I’ve been having a really busy schedule ever since they decided to make my Contest Scouting routine a TV show.”

“I’ve heard. And that’s why I’d like to introduce you to someone who needs your help regarding Musicals and Contests.”

“H-hello...My name is Yancy Ruri.” She says timidly. “I’m the niece of Zachary Ruri. I’m hoping I won’t be too much of a burden to you…”

“Nice to meet you Yancy, I’m Lisia. And this…” following this, she immediately pulls out a Poké Ball from her pocket. “…is my partner Ali!”

“Aliii!” the Altaria now in front of Lisia cries out.

“Ahahaha, nice to meet you, Ali!” she says as she pets the Humming Pokémon.

“So, Yancy, do you have a Pokémon you’d like to introduce?”

“Y-yes…” she then pulls out a Poké Ball from her own bag. Upon pressing the release button, a Sylveon comes out.

“Sylveon!” the Intertwining Pokémon greets Lisia.

“This is Eve…She was given to me as an Eevee by my father on my 12 th birthday…”

“Hahaha, she’s cute! And, I can tell just from looking at her that you raised her to be a Contest and Musical Pokémon, not as a battler.”

“I…I’m not too fond of battling, but I do at least take note of things like moves and breeding, and I still know how battles work.”

“That’s good to hear. You can never be too careful about wild Pokémon and trainer battles. And honestly, I’m kind of like you with regards to battles… I’m not too fond of them either unless I find them worthy enough to fight.”

“Looks like you two are already getting along pretty quickly.” Mr. Zachary interrupts their conversation. “Yancy, I’m going to have to leave for the time being because of my meeting with the higher-ups of TV Mauville. Let’s meet back later near the Cove Lily Motel then we’ll head back to the apartment.”

“O-okay Uncle Zach, Cove Lily Motel…”

“Well then Yancy.” Lisia catches her attention once more. “I’m hoping that we’ll be able to learn something from one another from here on.”

“Ahahaha…I’m counting on you then Ms. Lisia.”

“Hehe…There’s no need to address me as “Miss”, you can just call me Lisia, or Lissi, as my fans love to call me.”

“O-okay Miss…I mean Lisia. I won’t let you down as a student…”

“Good to hear. Now, let’s get started shall we? I should show you the Contest Hall in this city first.”

…

“What happened from there?” Nate asks.

“Well…I learned everything I needed. In short, everything essential about Contests, Musicals, and even Super Contests; the ideal moves and move sets for each type of Contest, how Pokéblocks and Poffins work and which Pokémon to feed the different ones to, the types of performances, different types of props, pretty much everything that was passed down from her mother and grandmother was taught to me personally. She even helped design my contest dress based on her own, in fact it’s the costume that you see me wear as Nancy is based on that very dress, with a few modifications. At first, I was having a difficult time trying to put everything I’ve learned into practice. Thankfully, Lisia was there to back me up every time. Eventually, thanks to her, I was able to get the hang of it all. She was there when I won my first contest, and always made an effort to see me perform.”

“I see... She must have been someone very important to you, almost like a parent or a significant other...”

“Uh…um…That’s…” rather than reply, she suddenly falls silent.

“S-sorry, I didn’t mean to say anything to upset -

“I-it’s fine... I’m telling you this because I trust you…”

“Did you have a falling out with her?”

“…No…No not really…I’ll get to that…It wasn’t an argument, but…”

…

_ I’ll have to admit, Contests are a very distant departure from Battles. It was difficult for me to adjust at first…But as I said, Lisia helped me every step of the way. As I made it closer to beating all the Master Rank Contests, I had already gained a fan following of my own. Crowds would cheer for me every time I and my Pokémon performed a dazzling move onstage. And then came the big day, where I had one last trial: beat my mentor in a Master Rank Contest. _

…

“Well, Yancy…” Lisia says to her mentee. “Good luck and have fun!”

“Aliiiiii!”

“Alright Eve…” she says to her Sylveon “This is our final challenge. Let’s win this contest and go home victorious, ahahaha!”

“Syl!” the Fairy type Pokémon cheers.

…

_ Entry Number 1 Lilias & Plumette _

_ Entry Number 2 Layla & Gorflir _

_ Entry Number 3 Lisia & Ali _

Compared to the previous two contestants, Lisia & Ali receive a much bigger applause from the crowd.

_ As expected of her… _ Yancy thinks nervously.  _ This could prove to be harder than I had anticipated…But maybe if I… _

_ Entry Number 4 Yancy & Eve _

Despite their preparations in advance, her mentor still manages to take the lead in the first round.

**_However, as the Contest progresses, Yancy manages to catch up in the second round with her superior move executions and appeal. By the time the after judging round sets in, the two of them are almost equally matched, with only the judge left to decide which of the contestants would be the winner…_ **

“Announcing the results of this Master Rank Beauty Contest!” the MC says over the mic. This is immediately followed by the tallying of said results on the giant screen onstage.

“…And the winner is Eve! Congratulations, Yancy!”

…

**_Half an hour later, after the Contest’s conclusion…_ **

“Congratulations on your performance, Yancy.” The receptionist says to her. “Your Eve performed exceptionally well against Ali.”

“T-thank you Maám, ahahaha...” She says as she tries to hide her blushing.

“Oh, I almost forgot! I was told that someone was waiting for you in the green room, right over…there.” Rather than thank the receptionist again, she decides to head over to the room in question, having a good guess at who that “someone” is.

“Tee Hee…I lost for the first time in years!” Lisia congratulates her student. “To think that you’ve already surpassed me at my own game…And to think that you were able to get tons of fans too in such a short notice…It makes me proud to be your mentor. I always wondered what your uncle saw in you ever since we first met…I think I’ve come closer to realizing what that something was. Despite your preference in avoiding Pokémon battles, it’s clear that when you’re backed into a corner or in a tough spot that you give it your all. And I think your Pokémon have that very same determination. I think, maybe because of that, you’re able to show off your real appeal better than any of us. Maybe I should try becoming as determined as you are.”

“I-I don’t know what to say, b-but thank you for everything you’ve taught me, ahahaha...” shr

“No, thank you, Yancy, for teaching me something... To be honest, I was kind of nervous on the inside when your uncle asked me to personally mentor you. While I normally just scout for potential Coordinators, I’ve never personally taught someone before…But, to think that you’ve surpassed me and Ali…But, enough of that. I came here to congratulate you and give you this.” Immediately, she pulls out a shiny object from her pocket.

“A- a Keystone!?”

“This is something I received from Steven back when I was still beginning as a Pokémon Coordinator. I don’t need it anymore, on account that I already received another one from my uncle Wallace a while back. So, I think you deserve it, as a gift from me.”

“T-thank you…” Yancy says as she receives the Mega Charm. “I…I’ll take good care of it.”

“And, I have one more thing to give you…”

“One more?” she asks puzzled.

“Could you close your eyes?”

“O-okay…?” immediately, Lisia moves closer to her and whispers something to her mentee.

“Ever since we first met, I…I’ve always admired you…”

“H-huh? What are you saying Lisi-!!!?” when she opens her eyes, she manages to catch a glimpse of her mentor embracing her, immediately followed by a deep kiss.

“L-Lisia-mmmph-….” Eventually, she manages to struggle her way out of her mentor’s embrace. Out of shock and impulsive disgust, she comes close to slapping the older girl, only stopping due to the latter finally coming to her senses and letting go of the former.

Yancy, still in shock from her mentor’s actions, manages to ask “Lisia…W-why…?”

Lisia, just as shocked at what she had done, tries desperately to explain her actions “I’m sorry Yancy…I- I got carried away there…I…I …” before she can finish explaining, however, she darts out of the room teary-eyed, leaving behind the still-shocked Yancy.

“L-Lisia! …” As she tries to head after her mentor, she suddenly collapses from a combination of exhaustion and the aforementioned shock.

_ When I came to, I was in a hospital bed. As it turns out, immediately after I lost consciousness, Lisia immediately rushed back to me and brought me over to the nearest hospital. At least, that was what my uncle told me .I also received from him a gift box, also from Lisia. It contained mysterious object and a note that said: _

**_Dear Yancy,_ **

**_I apologize …To be honest with you…I’ve fallen in love with you after all this time that we’ve been together…I’m truly sorry for doing what I did, and I truly regret hurting you back there. I don’t want to hurt you any more than I already have…I think it’s best that we part ways for now... I’m hoping that you’ll find everything I’ve taught you useful._ **

**_Yours truly,_ **

**_Lisia_ **

**_P.S. I’ve been contemplating something for a while, and I’ve decided on something. I’ll leave you with this last gift that you might find useful on your journey. You’ve earned this Mega Stone, and I want you to take care of it for me. Well, I guess I have nothing left to tell you…I’m hoping that our paths will cross again in the future…_ **

_ At first, I didn’t feel anything after that. But, as time wore on I gradually began to feel remorse every time I remembered that incident...I eventually realized that she saw me as more than a mentee or friend, and I felt guilty for not realizing it sooner…Eventually, I went back to Unova and I began my career as an idol and TV host .While I did achieve my goal of becoming famous, I never managed to find any real friends or completely get over what happened to me back in Hoenn. And I’ve also lost personal contact from Lisia ever since then… _

_ … _

“W-wait, your first kiss was from a girl!?”

Surprised by his unexpected question, she replies “I-I never said m-my first kiss was from a guy then…but that’s beside the point…” it easily becomes apparent that she’s also trying to hide her embarrassment from the look on her face.

“S-sorry, my bad…”

“A-anyway, continuing from where I stopped…the day that I lost my custom Xtransceiver…the very same one that you found in the Nimbasa city amusement park…I was having thoughts about quitting my job. It was at a time when my career, which had been doing splendidly until that point, was going downhill. I was competing for the spotlight against fellow TV host Christoph. And I was this close to actually pushing through with that idea until I lost said Xtransceiver. During that day I had been contemplating on calling my uncle Zachary with it…And from there…” before she can continue telling him, they are interrupted by a voice.

“Excuse me, Sir and Ma’am…” the waiter says to the young couple. “It’s almost closing time.” And when the two of them do check the time on their Xtransceivers, it is already past 10:30 in the evening.

“S-sorry…” Yancy says with a hint of regret. “I didn’t expect time to fly so fast…”

“That’s fine.” Nate replies to her “May we ask for the bill then?”

“And could you split it between the two of us as well?”

“Yancy…” but rather than trying to stop her, he decides to agree to her request this time on, with both of them splitting the bill once more.

**_Around a few minutes later, near the entrance to the Castelia Condominiums. After a short walk through the narrow side streets, they manage to make it back. When they check the time again, it already past 11 in the evening…_ **

“Thanks again Nate, for listening to my story…”

“It’s no big deal. We’ve been doing this ever since we’ve met. Anyway, it’s getting late…I’d better head backhome and get some rest…” Just as he’s about to fly back to Aspertia City, his girlfriend tugs his shirt.

“It’s getting really late, and I think it’ll be better if you stayed with me for the night.”

“W-wait, what? A-are you serious!?”

“Of course I am.”


	10. Destiny, Act 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter chronicles Nate's and Yancy's 2nd day at the Castelia Comic Con following the discovery of their celebrity identities to one another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Published in March 2018, following a 3-year hiatus on writing due to real-life issues.

**Chapter 10: Destiny, Act 1**

"Of course I am. Just by looking at you...I can tell you've been absolutely worn out from today's event. And then...there's the fact that this convention will continue for another day or two. You're going to have a difficult time trying to stay up if you keep up what you're doing… "

Realizing that she does have a point, he eventually concedes and accompanies her up to her room.

"Why did I agree to go… _yawn_ "

"See, I told you were too tired to go home…"

"Fine…"

 _A few minutes later, after finally making it to her floor_ …

"Well, here we are." She then produces a key from her handbag. Now, let me just open the door…"

 _It's only been a few days since I last went to this place, but why do I feel…_ For a few seconds, Nate loses himself at the sight of his girlfriend's condo unit again.

"Are you ok?" she asks him.

"O-oh me? Yeah, I-I'm fine…"

"You were spacing out for a few minutes there…Is something on your mind?" she asks him worriedly.

"I was just t…Nothing serious really…Maybe I really am too tired to make it back home..."

"See? I told you so...Now then…Let me just show you where you'll be sleeping." She immediately directs him over to the Master's bedroom.

"W-wait...T-this is your room..." immediately following this, his face flushes red in realization.

"Yeah, I know... But, since you're staying overnight, I figured that it'd be better off for you than sleeping on the couch. A-and I mean we _are_ boyfriend and girlfriend, and I thought...W-wait...What I am I saying... " she says before becoming embarrassed.

"Y-you do have a point there. I mean we are...finally well, together."

"Ahahaha... That's... good. I'll be leaving you here while I prepare for tomorrow's big event. We still have our stuff to do, after all. I think you already know about the bathroom down the hall...Oh…wait, will you be okay with what you're wearing. I...don't have any spare clothes…"

"No worries, I can manage. I can just wear the clothes on my back."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure..."

"Okay then. If there's anything you need, I'll be in the next room." Before she leaves the master's bedroom, Nate asks her one more question.

"Uh, do you happen to have a bath towel I could use?" he asks reluctantly.

"There should be a few in a closet in the bathroom. Feel free to use any of them." And just like that, she leaves for the living room.

Just as he's about to head to the bathroom, his Xtransceiver rings.

" _Hello? Nate? Why haven't you come home? You said you'd be coming home tonight after the Castelia Comic Con."_

" _Mom? I...a friend of mine...offered to let me stay for the night…"_

" _I see. It's good you have someone nice enough to let you sleep for the night there. Just...be sure to tell me next time on whether you're going home or maybe you could introduce me to your...er…''friend'', next time."_

" _Y-yeah, sure Mom. S-sorry for not telling you sooner…"_

" _Bye son, I love you."_

" _Love you too Mom, bye."_

_*Click*_

"Well, I've got a long day ahead of me tomorrow…" he mutters to himself. "Better get a good night's sleep…" He then proceeds over to the bathroom in the darkened hallway.

...

"Ahhh...That hit the spot. Nothing like a hot shower after a long day…" Just as he proceeds out of the bathroom, he suddenly runs into a figure in the darkened hallway just outside.

"Ooomph!"

"Ahh!"

…

"Ugh…w-what is this soft feeli-..."

"Ow…Nate...You're squeezing my..." she mutters

"Ugh...sorry Yancy...I..I... didn't know you were…" Suddenly, he realizes where his hand is placed. An awkward silence ensues.

"..."

"...I...I'm sorry…I didn't..."

"No...i-it's...fine…" she says just as her face blushes red. In response, his face also flushes in embarrassment.

"*Gulp*..."

"Well, then...I think it's getting late."

"Y-yeah, s-sorry for hitting you back there. I...I'm gonna go to bed now…"

"G-good night...Ahahaha.." She then heads over to the bathroom, with Nate heading back to the bedroom. When Yancy emerges from the bathroom, she immediately heads back to the bedroom, and immediately heads to bed without looking at Nate. An awkward silence ensues for what seems like a few minutes, until Yancy awkwardly breaks it.

"Good night…" she whispers.

"Good, night." he whispers to her.

_**The Next Day, at Day 2 of the Castelia Comic Con…** _

"Why didn't you do ''it'' with her?" Rosa exclaims in front of the Pokestar Studios booths.

"W-why? I-it was an awkward moment. For both us... A-And I was…"

"Excuses, excuses, Nate. Be a man and just do it with her…Look at me and Hugh, we..."

"B-but. I don't want to take responsibility for…I don't wanna regret..." Before he can finish his panicked sentence, he feels a sharp pain on his right arm.

*Slap* "Calm down, would you?" She says in response. "You're gonna attract unwanted gossip. Especially bad for you, since you're here for your upcoming film."

"Uh…yeah, you're right..."

"I'll help you with your err...hehe…''problem''... Come talk to me later, once you're done changing into better-looking clothes."

"B-but…"

"Just go. Don't you have a trailer showing to attend to?"

"R-right, then." he realizes. He then rushes off to the nearest dressing room. When he finally does return to the booths, Rosa immediately hands him something. Upon taking a look, he realizes exactly what she meant when saying she'd help him.

"C-Condoms? W-wait? Are you seriously thinking I'd want to just…?"

"Well, I said I'd help you with that little "problem" of yours regarding "taking responsibility" and all…Think about it, you wouldn't have to worry about the "consequences" of your actions later."

"..."

"Anyway, better safe than sorry, Nate. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have my own trailer showing to attend to on-stage. Don't be late for yours. So yeah, see you later, Nate." just as she leaves for the dressing room, she gives him a wink.

_**As the second day of the convention continues, the official trailer showing for the upcoming** _ **Brycen Man vs The Sneasel Ninja Ninja** _**receives a standing ovation from the huge number of fans gathered there. Among those present at the screening are Celebrity Channel's Christoph and Nancy.** _

_Pokestar Studios presents_

_A Pokewood Comics film_

_From the producers and directors that brought you Full Metal Cop and Brycen Man_

_Comes the next film in this epic saga_

_Based on the graphic novel series_

_Starring Lack-Two as Sneasel Ninja_

_Brycen as Brycen-Man and Mecha Cop_

_And introducing Black as Lucario Kid_

_Brycen Man vs. The Sneasel Ninja, coming to Theaters this November_

Following the screening, Nate, under his Lack-Two stage name, is approached by both of the Celebrity Channel hosts.

"Oh...Lack-Two. It's...nice to see you again." Nancy tells him. "This is Christoph, my co-worker and fellow host on the Celebrity Channel."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr…?" Christoph says to him as he extends his hand out.

"Nate. Please, call me Nate." he replies just as they shake hands.

"It's Curtis. My real name, I mean."

"So, what is it that you need from me? Another interview, perhaps?"

"Yeah. Pretty much." Christoph replies. "We need one for our coverage of today's events."

"Sure. Lemme just talk with...Nancy for a few minutes, then I'll get back to you."

"Oh, okay then. I'll be here covering the other trailer showings."

Lack-Two and Nancy then move away from the crowd, to one of the conference rooms reserved for the Celebrity Channel.

"I..I'm sorry about...last night." he whispers to her.

"I..it's fine…" she whispers back. "I...I should apologize for not being able to talk with you about it this morning."

Just as they embrace and are almost close to kissing each other, Nate feels as if they're being watched. Upon turning around, he not only finds the door to the conference room opened, but realizes that they're both caught red-handed, not only by Christoph, but by several con-goers and spectators as well.

"Uh-uhhhhmm…w-we can explain..." both of them barely mutter as they're having their pictures taken, their normally confident faces now flushed in embarrassment.

"So...uhh...what should we do about Christoph and that crowd?" Nancy whispers to Lack-Two nervously. Knowing that there's no room for error, the movie actor relucantly decides to come clean.

"Well, since the Purrloin's out of the bag big-time, I think we should just...tell them the truth, as much I'd hate to admit it myself…" Lack-Two whispers back, equally nervous.

"...You're right. No sense in trying to deny all those people. And...I don't want to ruin my reputation at this point in my career either. Not when I've come this far..." They then make their way to the main convention hall, holding hands.

"So…" Christoph nervously asks the couple. "Are you two...okay with this?"

"Well…"Lack-Two replies. "More or less, I guess…"

"I'm fine with this…" Nancy tells her fellow host.

"Are you _really_ ' sure you don't want to do a recorded interview in private?"

"Were fine with it." Lack-Two tells him.

"Well, if you say so…Cameraman, come here!" The Celebrity Channel host says. Just then, the cameraman in question arrives, and shortly thereafter they begin filming.

"So, Nancy, is it true that, based on rumors pertaining to your recent interview with Superhero movie star Lack-Two...that you two are dating behind the scenes?" Christoph asks.

"Well, do you want us to be frank and straight to the point?" Lack-Two answers in her stead.

"Your choice. But in any circumstance, the crowd behind me wants to know the answer, isn't that right you guys and gals over there!?"

"YEAH!" the crowd replies unanimously.

"Well, Nancy...let's tell them…"

"Alright, Lack-Two."

*both of them breathe in heavily*

"Yes. It's official. We're both dating!" As soon as both of them say this, the crowd cheers in excitement.

" **YES!** "

" **WE LOVE YOU NANCY AND LACK-TWO!"**

" **I KNEW IT!** "

" **YAY!** "

" **Such a cute couple…** "

"Well." Christoph says as he interrupts the crowd. "Could we know for how long?"

"Hmmm...Well, we knew each other since last year." Nancy says.

"Interesting. So tell us more about how you two first met…"

 _ **And with that, the two of them enthusiastically narrate to Christoph, and to an extent the rest of the gathered crowd, on how they met one another the previous months. Later that same day, both of them, along with Christoph, manage to get private VIP seats for the reveal trailer of Whi-Two's own film: the latest entry in the**_ **Mystery Doors of the Magical Land** _**series.**_

_Pokestar Studios presents_

_The Grand Finale of the acclaimed multi-million Pokémon Dollar film series_

_Based on the Long-Running Book series from Kanto_

_Mystery Doors of the Magical Land: Return of the Witch Queen_

_Starring Whi-Two and Sabrina once again as our Beautiful Heroine and Seductive Villainess_

_Coming to Cinemas this December_

"Nate…Thanks for helping me back there. And...thanks for getting me a VIP seat for this trailer screening..."

"It's nothing, really…"

Yancy, still flushed in embarrassment over their relationship being exposed so suddenly, remains quiet.

"..."

"Uhhh…Yancy?"

"You know, about what happened earlier..."

"Yeah?"

"I thought...Well, I just thought, for a minute back there, that my career would be finished…"

"Really?" he asks her reassuringly.

"More or less. I've had a few issues with the paparazzi before, like rumors of me and Christoph back there dating or having had an affair. It was nasty, but I put up with it, on account of nothing of the sort being true..."

"So, why would you think that you're career would be finished just like that?"

"To be honest...It was because I wanted our relationship to be kept a secret. I think you already know this, but I'm from one of the wealthiest families in Unova."

"Yeah, I'd figured as much when your uncle is one of the producers for the most-watched channel in Unova…"

"But, seriously…I wanted this relationship of ours to have been kept a secret for a while longer. I...wanted to reveal it at the right time...I...wanted my personal life to be separate from my public life, if at least for a while longer..."

"To be honest with you, I would have wanted to do the same thing, and just walk away from them all, perhaps with my dignity intact and private life safe. But then remember, you and I are both high-profile celebrities. And then both of us having a lot of publicity in the event so far? Doesen't make for a good combination. I pretty much did what I had to do..."

"Yeah. Maybe if you hadn't saved me back there, I would have considered just quitting my job as Celebrity Channel host then and there..."

"That's a terrible idea…"

"Which one? Quitting on a whim...?"

"I mean...You've come this far, and you've got what...millions of fans, a TV and Music career, and you're just going to throw it all away because the paparazzi got a scoop on your personal life?"

"I…" just before she can finish, he embraces her yet again, this time tighter. "N-..."

"Don't worry about it. I'll be there for you. That's why we're here for each other."

"You're right..." she says as she gets back up and regains her composure. "I should learn to stand up for myself. T-thank you Nate…C-Can we…?"

"H-here? Right now?"

"P-please? At least just a quick…"

"Oh, fine. Just one…"

"Thanks, ahaha…"

Just as they almost kiss again, they're interrupted by a familiar voice, which startles and embarrasses both of them.

"I know that's nice and all that you two are showing your affection and all…" Rosa says "But, here of all places? My my, you two are pretty kinky to want to do it here…"

"W-we…" Both of them mutter back in embarrassment. "What makes you think that we'd want to be a couple of exhibitionists?"

"Ohohoho...I never said anything about you two being exhibitionists...I was just talking about you two making out. But that aside, that was a nice dodge you two pulled off back there. I honestly thought you two were gonna freak out from that little surprise..."

"Wait a minute, you were the one who told Christoph of our whereabouts earlier?" Nate angrily replies.

"Think of it this way, I did you two a favor…"

"H-how would you call that a favor?" Yancy replies, her face red in a mix of embarrassment and anger.

"It's pretty obvious. You…" before she can finish her sentence, she is suddenly slapped in the face.

"I appreciate your intents and all, getting the two of us to confess our feelings and all...But…"

"Yancy…?" both Nate and Rosa say in astonishment.

"...Could you...please respect me and Nate's privacy, please? Like I said, thank you for helping me and Nate... But, please..."

"...Alright. Ehe... Maybe I did go a little overboard today...But, I'm glad that you're grateful for my help. And you, Nate..."

"M-me?"

"You should be lucky you have me: a childhood friend who can provide practical relationship advice." She tells him, smiling.

"Yeah. Maybe I should be grateful for your help as well…Thank you."

"Anyway, I think it's time I addressed the audience down there. I'll leave you two lovey-Pidoves alone." And just like that, she leaves, heading into the crowd of con-goers.

"Well then…" he says with relief at being alone again. He then turns to her. "Should we…?"

"...Continue where we…?" Rather than reply, he nods silently in agreement.

"Thank you... _mmph..._ " they then start embracing and passionately kissing one another. They continue doing so until they're interrupted by another person entering their VIP room.

"Rosa! Can't you at least give us some privacy-...Oh cripe..."

"Nate...Why did you stop…Uncle!?"

"Well, Nate, and Yancy…"

"Oh no, here it comes…"

"I'm sorry, Nate…"

"Congratulations!" Mr. Ruri shouts.

"WHAT!?" the young couple yell in embarrassment.

"Me and Mr. Deooh were just discussing that interview you two had the other day."

"A-and…?"

"The ratings have soared. And Christoph's interview with you two earlier, it's already had hundreds of thousands of views, and we expect it to reach a million within a day."

"Wait, wait, wait…What exactly are we talking about here?"

"What I'm saying here, Mr. Kyouhei, is that you and my niece here helped boost both the Celebrity Channel's ratings and Pokéstar Studios publicity. Me and Mr. Deooh are thankful for your publicity stunt back there."

"R-really?" Both of them ask in a rather surprised manner.

"Yes. And as thanks for that, you're both free to go around the event tomorrow."

"Ummm...Thanks, I guess…"

"T-thank you, Uncle…"

"Oh, one more thing…"

"Yes?"

"You two really, really should get a room. I wouldn't want you two to be caught making out in public. Hahaha! Anyways, you two enjoy yourselves now. And Yancy…"

"Yeah?"

"Take care of your boyfriend ok? And please, introduce him to your father for me. I think he'll like him."

"Uncle, please...Can you leave us alone already? Geez..."

"Alright, hahaha... Oh, and before I forget. I already talked with Mr. Deooh. Nate, he says you're free to go around for the rest of the day too. And I'm gonna let Curtis take over your hosting duties for the rest of the day, Yancy…"

"Uncle...thank you..." she says as she averts her gaze.

"Alright, Yancy, I'm going…" And with that, he leaves the two alone.

"I'm sorry, Nate. I really am…" She apologizes with sincerity. "He even did that back when I was still living in Hoenn..."

"It's alright, hehe... He did tell us that we were free for the rest of the day and tomorrow, so I'm fine with it."

"Y-yeah, I suppose…"

"So, what do you want to do now?"

"Honestly, I just want to get changed out of this costume and get out of here…ahahaha..."

"Considering it's already pretty late, I'm in agreement there." They then both leave the area, just as Rosa begins addressing the crowd down below in the main hall.

_**About half an hour later, both Nate and Yancy, having changed back into their casual wear, emerge from the Convention Center, both of them exhausted from the day's events.** _

"So...Where do you want to go now?"

"Hmmm...I was thinking, how about the Nimbasa City amusement park? The ferris wheel, I mean?"

"The ferris wheel? Again, why?"

"I...miss the view.. I always feel at ease whenever I take a look at the Nimbasa City skyline…"

"Alright, if that's what you want. And honestly, I did kind of want to go to nearby Join Avenue…"

"Okay then, let's go" she says with a hint of cheerfulness.

"Braviary, Fly us to Nimbasa City!"

…

"Alright, we're here. Braviary, come back!"

"T-thanks Nate. For accepting my request…" Both of them then head for the amusement park, and then to the Ferris Wheel, which they immediately board.

"Ahhh, I missed this view…" Yancy says as she looks out into the night sky, with an expression of relief. "Nate, can I...lie down on your lap? I...want to rest just a little…" But before he can answer his girlfriend's question, she begins doing just that.

"Y-Yancy...Sigh…" he then begins to fall asleep. They continue relaxing for what seems like hours on end, enjoying the lit-up night sky. Just then, his girlfriend suddenly wakes up.

"N-Nate...I…" she stutters, her face flushed in red.

"W-why are you…" he then realizes in muted horror as he checks his pants.

"Ummm..." her face, still flushed in red, narrowly averts her gaze from

"S-sorry…" he apologizes, his own face now flushed in red.

"No, it's...it's fine…C-could I ask you a favor?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"I...ahahaha...want to make up for what happened last night…"

"L-last night? Wait...What do you mean?"

"I...want to do what lovers do…" she tells him.


	11. Destiny, Act 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During their latest Ferris Wheel ride, Yancy tells Nate that she "wants to do what lovers do". While initially thinking she wanted to make out with him as usual, it turns out to be much more than that, as he soon finds out...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally published in March 2018 on fanfiction.net

**Chapter 11: Destiny, Act 2**

“Oh...hahahaha...Sure...Come here…mmph...” He then embraces her and they once again share a passionate kiss. Then suddenly, she breaks it off.

“Nate, t-that was a nice kiss and all, ahahaha...But, I...I didn’t it mean like that...”

“What did you mean, then?”

“I...uhhh...never mind...” she says while averting her gaze.

“W-what was it you meant?”

“N-nothing…”

“Well, okay then...If you don’t want to talk about it...”

“I...I mean...D-do you think we could go to your place later?...ahahaha...” Yancy immediately replies.

“Hm? Why so suddenly?”

“I’ve...always wanted to go to Aspertia City to enjoy the view from the lookout...I just haven’t had the time to go there yet due to my busy work schedule…”

“So, was that what you meant just now?”

“Y-yeah...Ahahaha...I”

“O-okay then, I’ll show you around the place. But first, I have to make a call…” he says just as the Ferris wheel ride ends.Both of them then step out and head for Join Avenue.

“Who are you calling?”

“Well, since we’re going to my place, I might as well introduce you to my mom.”

“You live with your mom? That sounds a little funny for someone who’s already earning miliions of Pokédollars, ahahaha!”

“Yeah, it...kind of is…But, seriously, I do it to keep a low profile. I don’t exactly like the paparazzi trying to get the scoop on me, much less some loony fans trying to get my autograph...” he replies as he scratches his head in embarrassment.

Soon enough, both of them reach the entrance of Join Avenue. Nate then pulls out his Xtransceiver from his pocket, then begins contacting someone. Soon enough, said someone on the other end picks up and answers.

“Nate? What is it?”

“Mom, I’ll be coming home today.”

“Oh, that’s a relief. I was thinking you’d be sleeping out again. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to come home tonight. I’m visiting an old friend in Mistralton City, and I don’t think I’ll be able to make it back there until tomorrow morning.”

“Uhhh, I see... C-could I let a friend of mine sleep at our place for the night? I want to show her around Aspertia City since she hasn’t been there yet.”

“Oh, sure. Is this “friend” of yours with you, I mean?”

“Y-yeah, she is.”

“Could I see her then? I’d love to meet her.”

“Right now? Ummm...”

“Is something wrong?”

“N-not really. I’ll just hand my Xtransceiver over to her.” he then hands over to his girlfriend, who is surprised by his unexpected action.

“N-Nate are you sure about this?”

“Not exactly my idea, Yancy. She’s just kind of eager to meet you.”

“But...but I don’t know what to say…”

“Don’t worry, my mom’s a pretty chill person. I think you’ll be able to talk to her without any issue, I think…”

“Uhhh, hello there...”

“So, you must be Nate’s friend. Thanks for taking care of my son the other night.”

“Y-you’re welcome Ma’am...I...I was the one who thought about having him stay at my place...ahahaha” she says nervously over the Xtransceiver.

“Why, that’s so considerate and thoughtful of you. Once again, I’m grateful for your hospitality. I hope he didn’t give you any trouble.”

“It’s no problem Mrs. Kyouhei, it really isn’t. I just did it what I felt was the right thing…ahahaha...” she then hands the device back to Nate.

“I see you’ve found yourself a nice girlfriend…”

“Mom, she’s not my...uhhh...Oh...”

“Don’t try to hide it, Nate. I know full well you two are dating.” she says with a smug smile. Both he and his girlfriend are awestruck at her finding out about their relationship.

“Uhhh...”

“Ummm...”

“Hahaha, it was pretty obvious you two are dating. The fact that you were acting all nervous since yesterday didn’t help that matter. I was honestly worried that you’d gotten yourself into trouble with your acting career. But I see that you’re in good hands.”

“T-thanks mom... Honestly...I...wanted to tell you about it in person tomorrow...I’m sorry for hiding it this whole time...”

“It’s fine, Nate. And yes, I’ll allow Yancy here to sleep at our place. Just...be sure to play “it” safe! Hahahaha! Goodbye, you two.”

“Mom! We’re not going to…” before he can finish replying, she hangs him up.

“I should apologize, Yancy. She used to work at a Pokémon Center, so she probably thought...”

“I thought I was the only one with embarrassing relatives, ahahaha!”

“Well, with that out of the way, what do you want to do know that that’s taken care of?”

“Well, how about we grab a bite at Join Avenue?”

Rather than reply, she nods in agreement. They then proceed into the avenue and grab a table at one of the cafés.

An hour later, at the Route 4 entrance of Join Avenue....

“You know, even now, after were dating like this, I’m still not used to splitting the bill with you...” Nate says after exiting Join Avenue. “Not unlike the first time we met…”

“Yeah...Ahahaha. And I enjoyed that dinner as much as I did the first time.”

“So, you said you wanted to go to Aspertia City right? I might as well call my Braviary out…” just as he pulls out his Poké Ball, his girlfriend stops him.

“That won’t be necessary.”

“What?”

“I think I’d prefer if we took the scenic route, don’t you think?”

“You mean...Walk all the way from here on Route 4 to the Ferry Terminal in Castelia City, then from Virbank City to Aspertia?”

“Yes…”

“Wouldn’t that take quite a while? I mean, it is faster to just Fly there…”

“Then, could we at least Fly to Virbank City and walk from there?”

“A-alright…”

“B-but, let me call out a Pokémon instead for you…”

“Hm? You have a Pokémon that can Fly?”

“Of course. I may not look like it, but I am still a Trainer. Those Pokémon I traded with you? They’re Pokémon I expertly bred myself.” she then produces a Poké Ball from her bag. “Togekiss, come out!”

‘Wow, that is one impressive-looking Pokémon. Not unlike my Braviary.” Nate compliments her.

“T-thanks…”

“So, judging by the fact you brought your Pokémon out to Fly...Does that mean you went through the Pokémon League Challenge yourself?”

“I told you I was a Trainer just now. Not as strong as you are, of course, but I did get all 8 Pokémon League Badges, at least. But, anyway, that’s beside the point.” she then directs her Pokémon to fly both of them to Virbank City, which the Jubilee Pokémon all too complies.

…

“So, this is Virbank City…Togekiss, return!” Yancy says with some excitement in her eyes as she withdraws her Pokémon. “It’s...uhhh...a little smaller than I thought, though…” she says with a hint of disappointment. “So, how far is Aspertia City from here again?”

“Well…since I mostly just Fly from place to place now...” he says as he pulls out his Town Map. “It should be around 45 minutes away.”

“I see…”

“So, should I show you around here?”

“I..I’ll pass…”

“Hahahaha, what did you expect? I mean, outside of Pokéstar Studios, and maybe the Virbank Gym and the ferry terminal, there really isn’t much here to see here…”

“Y-yeah...I honestly just wanted to check out this area out of curiosity whenever I was stationed at Pokéstar Studios for a shoot...”

“Let me guess, you also kept using Fly to get there? Hahahaha…”

“Y-yeah…ahahaha…Though, in all seriousness, I never really did venture out to this side...”

“So, do you want me to show you the way to Aspertia City?”

“S-sure!” They then begin walking west, in the direction of the city’s west gate. After a few minutes, they end up on Unova Route 20, and eventually into Flocessy Town.

“Well, here we are. Flocessy Town. Aspertia City is just a short distance away.”

“Is that… the old bell tower?” she asks him as she points towards said tower in the distance.

“Yup. That’s the one.” just then, she runs towards the tower and looks in awe.

“Ahhhhh! It’s wonderful! Just like my book on Unova said it would look like, ahahahaha...”

“Haha, well you haven’t seen the best part yet. We’re almost at our destination.”

Nate says as he manages to catch up. They then both head on the road to Route 19. After a short stroll through the tall grass scattered throughout the route, they both turn south and finally reach the gate of Aspertia City.

“So?” he says to her as the make their way out of the city’s North Gate. “How’s my hometown?”

“It’s...just as I hoped it would look...ahahaha! Thank you, Nate…” she says with a mix of joy and excitement on her face. “C-can we g-go…?” instead of finishing her sentence, she points to the lookout the city is best known for. Silently, he complies as they hold each other’s hands and make their way up the stairs. Upon reaching the observation deck, Yancy once again splits up from him, making her way to the viewing area.

“Wooow…” she says with some enthusiasm. “It’s beautiful...ahahaha...Though it’s too bad that the weather wouldn’t allow for a clear night sky…B-but thanks anyway, Nate. I didn’t think I’d get the chance to go here”

“Yeah…shame about the weather, and no problem.” he replies in agreement “Shame the autumn weather won’t let up any time soon…” he then takes a look at the cloudy night sky, and then at his Xtransceiver to check the time, which in this case is listed as 9:30PM. Suddenly, his left hand is pulled in by his girlfriend, and she forcefully embraces him.

“There’s...no one else up here...ahahaha…C-can we...? Please? While there’s no one else...I want to...” instead of replying, however, he just silently nods in agreement. They then move to the bench located at the end of the observation post. They subsequently wrap themselves in each other’s arms, and press on each other’s lips. They then break off the kiss following both of them running out of breath.

“Nate, can we...just sit here for a while longer?” she says in a satisfied tone. “I just...want to...enjoy this moment for a bit longer…” she then rests her head on his lap once more.

In response, he decides to follow suit, and relaxes on the bench. However, after a few minutes, just as both of them are half-asleep, the already unfair weather takes a turn for the worse.

“H-Huh?” Nate says as rain begins pelting their location. “Y-Yancy, w-wake up. We’ve got to...” Just as she finally gets up, the rain begins to intensify.

“N-Nate!? What’s going o-!?”

“We’ve got to get out of this rain...” he says as he grabs her hand in a hurry. Using his jacket as a makeshift umbrella, he holds her hand tight as they make their way down the flight of stairs and onto the street, the rain starting to get both their clothes wet.

“Nate!? W-where we going...Nate?” she asks him upon both of them stopping at the end of the city’s main street, in front of a small house. He then produces a key from his pocket.

“S-sorry Yancy, I know it’s a less than glamorous welcome, but...welcome to the Kyouhei residence…” he then inserts the key into the lock, and then turns the knob. “After you…”

“T-thanks…ahahaha...” she says as she nervously enters the front door, with him immediately following her in and shutting the door. Upon finally entering, Nate then turns on the lights to the living room, and immediately notices that both of them are drenched in rainwater.

Yancy immediately notices, and removes her soaked sunhat “Oh dear…” she then takes off her equally drenched shoes, and leaves them near the entrance to the house. “T-thank you for lending me your jacket…”

“No problem....” Nate says as he removes his own shoes “This...doesn’t look good. We should get out of these clothes and take a shower ASAP…”

“Y-yeah...” she replies, looking at her own drenched clothes. She then awkwardly misinte

“Ummm...together?” she says with her face flushed in pink.

“WHAT? No...Umm, I mean, there’s a bathroom over there, next to the kitchen.”

“W-what about you?”

“Don’t worry about me…I...have a bathroom with a shower in my own room…”

“O-okay...ahahaha, s-sorry. I thought your house only had one bathroom…” she replies with nervous laughter. “B-but I...didn’t bring any spare clothes…” Acting quickly, Nate heads to his room and grabs one of his shirts from his drawer, and hands it over to her. “H-here...I hope this can suffice…W-we really should get into a shower…*Achoo!*”

“Nate…*wheeze*...Oh dear...”

With that, both of them awkwardly proceed to the bathrooms located on opposite ends of the house.


	12. Destiny: Act 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nate and Yancy, having just made it to the former's house following a sudden downpour, begin growing ever closer as the former begins to realize what "doing what lovers do" truly means...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally published on October 2018 on fanfiction.net

**Chapter 12: Destiny, Act 3**

_**A few minutes later, after both of them emerge from the showers...** _

"Ummm..."

"Uhhh..."

Sure enough, both of them stare awkwardly at one another for a few seconds. They especially notice the clothes that the other is wearing, in her case just the Sneasel Ninja shirt, and for him only an undershirt he quickly grabbed from the same drawer as the shirt she herself is wearing, as well as a pair of boxer shorts. Eventually, they then look away from each other, before Nate speaks up.

"W-we should probably drink something hot…"

"Y-yeah...ahaha...I think we should..." both of them then proceed to the kitchen, where he prepares hot water while getting two sachets from the kitchen cupboard, while she sits on one of the dining room chairs.

"Tea or coffee?"

"Um...I'll have tea…t-thank you..."

"Alright, then…" he then hands her a mug and the sachet of tea. Then he takes a seat on the opposite chair. As both of them take sips of their drinks immediately, they both say nothing to the other, and nervously take looks at each other's clothes, or rather, lack thereof.

"..."

"..."

Finally, wanting to break the awkward silence between them, Nate asks Yancy a question that had been hanging on the back of his mind since a few hours ago.

"S-so, Yancy...I wanted to ask you about something you said earlier…"

"Something I said? W-which one?"

"What did you mean when you told earlier that you "wanted to do what lovers do"?" Upon hearing that phrase, her face suddenly becomes flushed in red, and her attitude goes from that of calmness to one of embarrassment and nervousness.

"Uhhh..."Instead of finishing her reply, she begins to look away from him. It's then that he begins to piece together the exact meaning of her words from earlier, especially considering exactly when she told him the whole thing.

"What? Don't tell me you…?"

"I…"

"I?"

"To be honest I… I want you to... be my first ... D-did I just say that out loud!? Aaaa-Ahhh..." soon enough, she begins to panic as she realizes that she's spilled her secret.

Now it's Nate whose face turns red following this revelation, mostly due to surprise. She then makes her way to the living room couch, with him following her there.

"Yancy...did you just say you wanted to… be my first!?" he asks, still surprised by her confession.

Reluctantly, she nods to him as a reply.

"Wait? Y-you mean, make love, right?" again, her reply to him is a slight nod.

Suddenly, just as he's about to ask her another question, she grabs his hands,and brings him closer to her on the couch, before forcefully kissing him. While surprised at first, he eventually concedes, and takes the lead from her. Like before, they eventually run out of breath and break off.

"I'm sorry, Nate…I didn't mean to...I'm..." she says with a hint of regret.

"What's there to be sorry about? Hahaha…I'd love to, but..."

"But?"

"Yancy. I think I'd better be honest with you too. Before we decide to _do it_... "

"What is it?"

"I-It's my first time too…"

"Nate…" she then embraces him. "Honestly, I'm relieved…"

He then asks in a more serious tone. "B-but are you really sure about this? Doing it with me, here and now?"

"I...I am…" she tells him in a reassuring manner.

"I...don't think I'll be able to hold back once we start…" he flat-out admits to her. He then asks her in a more serious voice. "Are you _really_ sure you won't regret this?"

Rather than answer "Yes", she nods silently again, and instead asks him a favor.

"Can I admit...something else to you Nate? Before we continue I mean?" It becomes clear to him that she was more than willing to continue going, although these two questions she suddenly asked him now raised suspicion. What exactly was she going to admit to him at this point that he didn't know?

"Y-yeah, sure…" He replies with a degree of uncertainty and curiosity.

"Do you...remember that night when you first kissed me?" she tells him as her face turns pink.

"You mean at that park in Driftveil City?"

"Y-yeah…After we had dinner at that fancy restaurant in that hotel…"

"Wait a minute...Why are you bringing this up now?"

"That...that was the first time I felt...like this..." she says in a semi-embarrassing tone.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that that was the first time I felt this burning sort of pleasure…"

"Uhhh..."

"To be perfectly honest with you, I...wanted to make love to you back when you apologized to me at my condo the morning after that time…" A stark realization hits him as he begins to recall the events of that day. How she led him in without reluctance. A feeling that both of them felt for the few minutes they were locked in their embracing and kissing. One of lust.

"Is that why...you allowed me to make out with you back then? Why you led me on?"

"Y-yes...I just…I decided that it wasn't the "right time"..."

"Hm?" What could this "right time" she was referring to mean? It didn't take long for his answer to be revealed though, as she continued narrating her experience to him.

"I was unsure of myself back then. S-so I decided not to push through with it. And for a while, I was still unsure. Unsure and afraid…I never had any sexual experience prior to that moment..."

"That's why you were holding back until now?"

"Y-yes…"

"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you…I'm here with you to the end."

"Nate…" her face then becomes flushed in red once more. Then, she speaks up again.

"C-could we at least kiss again first?" suddenly, she begins moving closer to his face.

"Uhh..."

"P-please, ahahaha?" she says as she moves herself ever closer to him.

"A-alright…" He then embraces her, which leads to him pressing his lips against hers once more. However, before they become more passionate, she stops him this time, which again surprises him.

"Is something wrong? D-did I hurt you?"

"No...Nothing's wrong...But...c-could we move to your bed, p-please? T-this feels kind of...uhhh...awkward..." she says as she tries to adjust her posture on the couch.

Without saying a word, both of them immediately make their way to his bedroom.

"W-well, here we are. Sorry I didn't have time to clean it up, though...hehe..."

"It's fine…" she then sits on the edge of his bed, and tugs his shirt ever so slightly. Knowing what she means, he sits beside her. They then continue where they left off, with him kissing her passionately until both of them run out of breath. This time however, both of them start caressing one another gently following their kiss.

"Ahhh~…!"

"S-sorry…?"

"No...P-please continue…" they then embrace one another, while slowly removing what little they have on. She slowly removes his undershirt, while he responds in kind by taking off her shirt, to reveal her wearing a pair of white and pink bra and panties underneath.

"You're still wearing those? Hahaha..." he notices as he stares at her half-naked figure.

"T-they didn't get wet, so…" It's then that her attention shifts to his torso. Both are in awe at the sight of seeing one another's figures.

"Wow...I…(how do I say this)..."

"H-hm?"

"I never realized you were...You're gorgeous…"

"U-umm...T-thank you… I think you're...Waaahh! What are you-"

He then, in a spur of the moment, kisses and caresses her again, which causes her to moan in pleasure. Slowly, he makes an attempt to remove her bra. Realizing his intention, Yancy grabs his hand, and directs him to the hook.

"H-here…right here..." he then removes it slowly, then quickly drops it onto the floor. Immediately, his eyes become fixated at the gorgeous sight in front of him. For a while, he continues staring at her now-bare chest.

_I...I never realized just how gorgeous her body was…It's one thing to see her in pajamas, but...darn...this is eyecandy..._

Noticing him staring at her chest, she covers herself with her arms.

"D-don't stare…"

"…They're...surprisingly big...They're beautiful..."

"T-thanks again?...ahahaha...To be honest though, they're probably not as big as Rosa's..."

"Hahahaha...It doesn't matter either way."

"J-just be gentle when you touch them, ok?"

"I'll try to…"

He then begins caressing her breasts, eventually working his way down to her abdomen. As he continues, she begins moaning.

"Ahhh~...Nate, please...more..." she says with her face flushed in red. He then removes her underwear slowly, which she gets embarrassed about upon realizing.

_So, this is a girl's...It's...really warm and wet..._

Averting her gaze, she pleads to him "Wait! Ah! No...D-don't stare ...Please...a-ahhh..."

"S-sorry…" he then tries to avert his own gaze, to no avail. Instead, out of impulse and curiosity, he begins caressing her again, this time in-between her legs. This culminates in him rubbing her womanhood.

"Ah~...Nate…Please...Mmm...Uhhhh..." by now Yancy was in a euphoria of pleasure, and could barely contain her own moans as he continued caressing her down there. Suddenly, she gets up.

"M-more…" she mutters while holding his waist.

"W-what are you...?"

"I want you…"

"I don't know what you're…"

"Please…I want you to…I want us to become one..."

While initially taken aback by her statement, he decides to comply and takes off his boxers. She then gets up from her spot on the bed and moves closer to him.

"(S-so big)..." she mutters to herself while staring at her boyfriend's "asset".

"What's wrong?" he asks her.

"Y-your…" instead of finishing what she was saying, she simply points at the direction of his groin "I-It's huge..."

"T-thanks?" he says. He then moves closer to her and positions himself on top.

"I'll be honest though. I...really don't think I'll be able to hold back once we start, as much as I'd like to try…" he confesses as he moves ever closer to her.

"C-could you...at least go slower this time, please?"

"I'll try...Not exactly a promise..."

"T-then could we at least kiss again first...ahaha…?"

"Alright…" they then share one final kiss, before he then lies directly on top of her.

"Yancy, I'm gonna go in now…" In response, she nods silently, and with that, he begins entering her.

_D-darn...She's tight...I don't know how long I can hold…_

"Hnnnghhh…Ughhh….Ahhh…" she groans in muffled pain, with tears flowing out of her eyes. When he checks where he entered her, he notices a bit of blood.

"A-are you ok? Does it hurt? S-should I stop?"

"It hurts a little...ughhhh…., b-but I'm fine…P-please continue...slowly if you can...hngghhh..."

He then begins moving slowly, with her moaning in mixed pain and pleasure in-between their heavy breathing. As he continues, her moans gradually become louder and more in line with pleasure. In response to the ever-growing amount of pleasure, he suddenly stops.

"Huh? W-why did you stop? *pant* *pant*"

"Do think you can manage the pain enough for me to move faster?"

"I...I think. It doesn't hurt as much as earlier...But…..ahhh!" Immediately after kissing her, he then begins thrusting faster.

"Sorry, Yancy...I...can't hold myself back anymore…"

"It's fine...aaah! It feels much better now...nghhh"

Both of them, in a flurry of pleasure, begin moving faster and faster with each passing, their moans becoming louder and more frequent each minute.

"Nate!...ahhhh!...ngggghhhh…It...feels...so good ahhh...!"

"Yancy...uhhh…huhhh"

In the midst of this, she smiles and gives him a deep kiss, as both of them continue moving.

"Nate, I...I feel...like something's coming...haaa….haaahhhh...!"

"Me too Yancy, me too! *pant* *pant* *pant*"

Eventually, the pleasure becomes too much for both of them to handle.

"Nate...I-I ahhh….Aaahhh...Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

_D-darn...This tightness...Ugh…This is too much, even for me...Hrrggghh_

"I...think I'm...at my limit...too! Darn...I think I'm gonna...come-ughhhh..."

"Hot…it feels so hot!" she screams. As both of them feel the flurry of pleasure, they hold each other's hands and torsos tightly as the sensation overwhelms them both.

...

Thanks to their lack of experience, both of them cannot continue any farther despite both of them trying their earnest to continue moving. Eventually, it proves fruitless, and they soon give in to the rain of pleasure. Immediately following this, both of them collapse from the ensuing euphoria, with him resting on top of her, both of them holding hands while trying to regain their breaths.

"Nate. Thank you…For being my first…*pant* *pant* *pant* For making me a woman...For making me your lover...*pant*..."

"Thank you too, Yancy...for being my first, and for being my girlfriend…"

"Ahahaha…"

"I...I think I should also apologize for hurting you back there...And...maybe for going a bit too rough..."

"I don't mind... I-in fact, it honestly felt really good when I got kind of overwhelmed by pleasure myself when you started going faster."

"So you don't hate it?" Instead of replying, she shakes her head, her face flushed in pink.

"That's a relief...I think I got a little too impulsive back there myself." This time, however, there's no response from her. Upon closer inspection, she's already drifted off into sleep.

"Good night...Yancy...*yawn*" Sure enough, he drifts off to sleep as well, with both of them holding one another in each other's arms and having satisfied looks on their faces.

…

_**To be continued** _


	13. Fighting For Fate, Act 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place following a passionate night between a certain two individuals, and their subsequent awkward moments not long afterward...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally published on fanfiction.net in early November 2018.

**Chapter 13: Fighting for Fate, Act 1**

_**The next day, at the Castelia Convention Center, an hour before the halls open…** _

"Well, how did your date go last night?" Rosa asks the newly-arrived young couple in front of her. Unsurprisingly, both Nate and Yancy remain silent about the events that transpired.

"..."

"..."

"I can tell what happened from the looks on your eyes, you know." Their immediate reaction to her statement is one of surprise and genuine shock. How could she possibly know about what they did when they last remembered her staying at the Convention Center until late that night?

"W-what are you talking about? I...I just showed her around Aspertia City…" he says nervously.

"Y-yeah. And the viewing deck was superb...Ahahaha…"

"Come on, you two don't have to hide it from me."

"Hide what? We already told you that we just went around the city and all."

"Y-yeah…"

"I know you two pidoves made love the other night. I can see it in your eyes. And that hickey on your neck didn't help either…" she says to Yancy as she points out the mark.

"U-uh?" for a second, she's caught by complete surprise. She then produces a small mirror from her bag, and takes a look at her neck. Sure enough, there was one on the right side of her neck. "Waah, she's right!" she then produces a makeup pocket mirror from her bag, and proceeds to place powder over the mark in question.

"Ugh, we've been busted…" Nate says as he facepalms in embarrassment.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone else." His childhood friend reassures him. "But…"

"Y-yeah?" he asks Rosa.

"What is it?" she also asks her.

"I'm...hehe...kind of curious as to how it all went...I know I'm not supposed to ask that, s-sorry…"

"No, it's fine…" Yancy suddenly replies. "You've discovered our little secret, what's there to hide? And as a friend, I trust you enough to keep it."

"T-thanks?" she replies, still surprised at her friend's remark. Nate then speaks up.

"I swear Rosa, if Hugh finds out about this, I'm gonna go after both of you…"

"Okay, okay...I get it…I promise I won't tell..." Following this, the young couple begin to narrate to their friend on the events of earlier that morning.

...

_**A few hours earlier, in Aspertia City…** _

"Uhhhh...What happened last night...?" Nate says as he gets up. He immediately notices three things around him: there's random articles of clothing scattered on the floor, his beds sheets are in a mess, and that he woke up naked. Just as begins to remember the events of last night, however...

"Good morning…ahahaha..." a certain girl's voice tells him. He then turns around to see his girlfriend in bed with him. It's at this point that he remembers what he did with her last night, not helped by him noticing his unopened bag in the corner of the room, and remembering the box that Rosa had given him.

"Oh...cripe!"

"Nate? What's…wrong?"

"I...I forgot to...use protection…I came inside you without realizing it...I only realized that after we finished! Oh no..This is bad...I can't...I don't want to..." for a moment he continues panicking amidst the awkward silence, until she breaks it with some amused laughter.

"Ahahahaha…"

"Huh? I...I don't like the sound of that..."

"(How do I put this?)...I'm on the pill."

"W-what!? Don't tell me you were planning this the whole time."

"N-no...Nothing like that. I'm on medical prescription."

"Ummm…" he says as he gives an awkward stare.

"I-it's for my…" Before she can finish her sentence, the door to the bedroom opens.

"Oh...cripe…"

"Uhhhh…ahahaha...?"

Sure enough, there stood Mrs. Kyouhei in front of the door.

"Mom? Uhhhh..." his expression immediately changes to an awkward smile that all but screams "Oh no.".

"Uhh...WAAAAHHHHHH!" Yancy then proceeds to hide herself under the sheets out of embarrassment. Suddenly, Nate's mom speaks up.

"Hahahaha…" she laughs out loud. "I just _knew_ you two would end up doing it. Your expressions on the Xtransceiver last night didn't help." This catches the young couple completely by surprise, as they were both expecting a scolding. Before both of them can speak up, however…

"Yancy, right? You don't have to worry. I'm not mad at you two or anything. Come on, get dressed you two...You can introduce yourself to me later."

"M-mom?" her son awkwardly asks. Instead of a reply, however, she leaves something near his doorway.

"Oh, by the way, I already dried your clothes. I left them near the door." She then promptly heads to the kitchen.

"U-uuuhhh!?" It's then that his girlfriend suddenly emerges from the sheets she was hiding under. "D-did she just...tell us to get dressed?"

"Y-yeah, she did…To be honest, I'm just as surprised as you are..." Immediately following this, both of them take turns using his bathroom and shower, and then subsequently get dressed.

…

"And that's what happened…She just marched in unannounced...Should have kept that door locked by all accounts..." Nate says as he concludes his story.

"Yeah, I'll have admit, we did _do it.._." Yancy admits. "And then the moment we woke up her mom walked and I panicked for a good 2 minutes…You could imagine how embarrassed I was to be like that in front of her...ahahaha..."

"And I see you use the pill too, haha…"

"N-not because I expected _that_ to happen, okay!?" she denies, her face flushed in red. "Again, it's for medical reasons…"

"Speaking of which..." Nate then produces a familiar-looking small box from his own bag. "I don't think I'll be needing these…" he then hands back to her the box of condoms she gave him the other day, which she promptly puts in her own bag.

Rosa then asks them. "Did anything else happen after that?"

"Yeah, me and my mom found out about Yancy's family..."

"What about Yancy's family? I know they're rich and all, but…" Before Rosa can finish, Nate interrupts her.

"Y-yeah...About that. That's the thing…"

"There's more to that?"

"Yes…" this time, it's Yancy who replies, and subsequently continues narrating the entire story.

...

_**Cut back to earlier that same morning, at the Kyouhei residence...** _

"..."

"..."

For a minute, this awkward silence continues between the three of them. Then Nate's mother speaks up.

"So, Yancy?"

"Y-yes Maám?"

"Do you think you could formally introduce yourself to me?"

"S-sorry, I-I…" she stutters, then regains her composure. "I'm Yancy Ruri. I've been going out with your son for quite a while, now. But only recently did we officially start dating one another."

"Wait, Ruri?" Mrs. Kyouhei asks in a surprised manner. "You mean THE Ruris?" She then moves her eyes to her son. "Nate, do you realize who you're dating?"

"Y-yeah mom. I know she's from this rich family and all, but-"

"She's not just from any rich family...She's the heiress to one of the largest holding companies in Unova!"

"W-what? Your uncle Zach never said anything about..." before he can finish his sentence, his mom speaks up once more.

"Zach? As in Zachary Ruri?"

"Y-yes Maám…He's...also my boss at the Celebrity Channel."

"And yes mom, in case you're wondering... She's Nancy…" Nate adds.

"Incredible." she then turns her attention back to her son. "Nate, I can't believe you're dating such a fine young woman." Hearing this compliment, his girlfriend blushes.

"T-thank you, Mrs. Kyouhei...ahahaha…"

"Nate."

"Y-yes?"

"Please take care of your girlfriend." An ironic echo considering that her uncle said something similar to her about him just the other day...

"Y-yeah mom, I will…"

Immediately after this, his mom continues preparing breakfast for the three of them. Unsurprisingly, Yancy volunteers to help her prepare food, and even begins cooking her own dishes alongside her. At one point, Mrs. Kyouhei becomes surprised at how quick and how skilled of a chef she is.

…

_**Around an hour and a half later...** _

"Enjoy yourselves out there, you two!" Nate's mom tells the young couple as she waves them goodbye. Following this, she closes the front door for them.

"You have a nice mom…" she tells him after they exit his house.

"Y-yeah...You could say that. I should apologize for that little fiasco…"

"It's no problem, ahahaha. I did want to introduce myself to her, after all. I mean...that is the proper thing to do. " It's then that he realizes something.

"Say, maybe I should introduce myself to your parents, just to be fair."

"I just need to make a call first."

"To your dad? But isn't he busy like what my mom said?"

"That won't be a problem. He always answers my calls." She then pulls out her custom Xtransceiver, and begins going through her numbers, before finally dialing in her dad's own. As soon as the other end starts ringing, a man in his mid-40s picks up.

"Yancy?" the man asks her. "What is it? Is it something important?"

"Y-yes dad." she replies, who then hands over the device to her boyfriend. "I need to introduce you to someone…"

"Ummm...Good morning, Mr. Ruri. I-I'm Nate...I'm…" he tells her father.

"Nate, also known as Lack-Two. My younger brother Zach told me all about you the other day."

"Y-yes sir. I...I've been dating your daughter only recently, although I…I've been going out with her as a friend for quite a while now..."

"I see. If anything, I'd like to see meet you in person later tonight. At my place." before he can reply with a "Yes, sir", the older man speaks up again.

"Could you please hand the Xtransceiver back to my daughter, please?" Without hesitating, he does exactly that.

"Well Yancy, I'll be seeing you and your boyfriend later."

"Yes dad."

"I love you."

"You, too dad." she then cuts the call off, and places the device back in her bag.

"So, do you want to Fly back or just walk to the ferry from here?"

"After what I've seen last night? I think I just want to fly back..."

"That's good to hear. Guess I'll race you to Castelia City, then. Braviary, Fly!" With that, he pulls out a Poke Ball, and calls out the Valiant Pokemon. Within a second or two, he's already soaring.

"W-wait, Nate!" By the time she tries calling him back, she's left in the dust. Disappointed, she calls out her Togekiss, and proceeds in the same direction as her boyfriend. By the time she arrives in Castelia City, Nate is already waiting for her near the front of the Pokemon Center.

"Geez, Nate...Was that necessary?"

"Hahaha...Sorry Yancy. I got a little too excited about the convention…" He then embraces and kiss her on the cheek.

Forgiving her boyfriend for the incident, she then holds his hand, and they begin walking to the Castelia Convention Center together. On the way there, Nate decides to kill time by inquiring further about her father.

"So where is your dad's place?"

"Undella Town. It's actually where I used to live until I started working for the Celebrity Channel."

"Undella Town? You mean the summer retreat town in Eastern Unova, right?"

"Yup. My father's place is the large mansion on the east side of town."

"You mean THAT large house with the huge fence and tight security?"

"Yup. That one."

"Well...Guess that proves you really are the daughter of a wealthy CEO…"

"You could say that again...ahahaha!"

Following this, they continue their walk together to the convention center, having satisfied and glowing expressions on their faces. As soon as they approach the entrance of the convention center, they come across Rosa, who waves at both of them.

...

_**Back in the present time...** _

"So even your mom knows all about her now…" Rosa suddenly interrupts.

"Pretty much…" Nate tells her.

By the time they're done narrating their story to her, half an hour has passed, and the convention has now allowed VIP pass holders, like Nate, Rosa, and Yancy, into the center. But before the young couple proceed further in, Rosa hands them something.

"By the way…I got this pamphlet from Hugh earlier. Wanted you to see it." She then hands Nate said pamphlet stating a few of the activities taking place later that day, among which includes a major announcement from Castelia Comics relating to Lucario Kid, as well as a sponsored auction of a certain Lucario Kid item.

"...I see they've recast Lucario Kid." Nate says.

"H-how did you know that?" Both Yancy and Rosa ask surprised.

"Not surprising at all, considering that the next arc they're adapting into a film is the confrontation between an older Lucario Kid and an experienced Sneasel Ninja. They _are_ based heavily on the original comics, after all..." He then continues reading the list of events, then comes across something his girlfriend would definitely be interested in.

"Yancy, I think you might want to read this…" He then hands the piece of paper to his girlfriend. As she continues reading through it, her expression shifts from bewilderment to glee.

"Elesa? Here!?" As it turns out, the text makes mention of Elesa making an appearance at the convention, specifically as a sponsor and host.

"...Nate!? Can we go see her? Please?"

"Yeah, sure…"

With that, they present their VIP passes to the guard at the entrance, and make their way inside.


	14. Fighting For Fate, Act 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our main characters enjoy the last day of the Castelia Comic Con, earning a special prize while venturing through the various booths offering Pokemon-related merchandise.

**Chapter 14: Fighting for Fate, Act 2**

"Hey there." Hugh says. "Guessing you heard about the big event later, right?"

"Yup." Nate replies. "And I'm pretty sure you're gonna try to bid for whatever they're auctioning later?"

"Pretty much…" he replies. "And I'm not gonna hold back this time!"

"Ummm Hugh…" Rosa interrupts. "This isn't some Pokemon battle. It's an auction. So I suggest you think first before…"

"Oh, don't worry about that. I think I have more than enough funds to cover the highest bid…" he then shows off a huge amount of paper bills he produces from his bag.

"Where'd you get all that cash?" his friend asks.

"This? I've been saving up for something like this, unlike you, who can practically afford things only I can dream of…" he says with a hint of envy.

"Well then, Nate." Hugh tells his best friend as he reaches out his arm. "May the best man win..."

"Yeah, sure. May the best man win." they then proceed to shake each other's hand, followed immediately by a bro fist.

"Well, I'll be accompanying him for now. See you later, you two." Rosa then waves goodbye to the couple as she and Hugh disappear into the crowd.

"Worried?" Yancy asks her boyfriend.

"A little. Knowing how determined he can be... I wouldn't be surprised if, or rather when, he puts up a fight, even if in this case it isn't a battle. The fact he actually saved up that surprisingly huge amount in the first place..."

"Don't worry about that. I'll help you in any case."

"Y-you don't have to…" but before he can finish his words, she pokes her finger on his mouth.

"Think nothing of it. I'm here for you, so don't burden yourself." she then kisses him on the cheeks.

Following this, they begin going around the various booths and shops set up across the convention center, ranging from promotions of other upcoming shows and films to shops selling goods from other regions. One of the booths that they come across is a booth offering special-looking bracelets from a faraway region called Alola, as well as listing something regarding a challenge.

"Hey there." the bespectacled, semi-shirtless man in a lab coat at the booth's counter greets the young couple. "You two look like strong trainers who've done something meaningful. Care to be interested in what I'm offering?"

"What are those bracelets right there?" Nate points to the objects in question.

"Oh these?" he replies as he grabs one of the bracelets. "These...are what's called Z-Power Rings."

"Z-Power Ring?" both of them ask.

"I see...It's not surprising that you two wouldn't know what this is. Very well, I'll explain to you just what these babies can do." he then hands a blue one to Nate and a white one to Yancy, who promptly wear them on his right hand and on her left hand, respectively. Immediately, the man then asks them a question while pulling out a special-looking box.

"So, young man. What's your preferred Type?" he then opens the box to reveal 18 identical-looking but differently-colored crystals.

"W-what are these?"

"These are Z-Crystals. They're to be equipped onto the Z-Power Rings you two are wearing right now."

"What exactly are we supposed to with them?" Yancy asks.

"Hmmm...I guess I should demonstrate to you two how both of these work. Again, young man and lady, what are your favorite Pokemon Types?" he then shows them again to the box next to him.

"Ummm...Fairy." Yancy tells him.

"Water for me." Nate follows up.

"Well then." the man then hands them the blue and pink colored gems, respectively. "Place these Z-Crystals onto your rings." both of them promptly do so.

"And...what now?" the young man asks him.

"Would you two be willing to battle me, here and now?" sure enough, their reactions are that of genuine, clueless surprise.

"H-huh!?" both of them exclaim.

"Not a full battle. I mean, I just need one Pokemon of the same type as the crystals you two have now. And I'll battle one of you first, and then the other immediately after." They then promptly begin selecting Pokemon from their party, with Nate choosing his Samurott, with Yancy picking her Sylveon, nicknamed Eve.

"So...which one of you two wishes to battle me first?" Naturally, both of them remain silent. Noticing their indecisiveness, he decides to ask the pink-haired girl in front of him. "How about you, young lady? Care to test your strength first?"

"M-me!?"

"Yup. There's something about you that just tells me that you're stronger than you actually look…So, how about I see how strong you actually are?" Without saying a word, she reluctantly nods and decides to face the bespectacled man.

"Oh, one more thing...I think I should teach you two on how these Z-Crystals work." He then begins performing a weird-looking dance in front of Yancy.

"W-what are you doing?" the young couple ask him, trying to hold back laughter.

"The only way you can perform a Z-Move is by performing this special dance. In this case, the one I just showed you is for the Fairium-Z you have. As for the Waterium-Z, it goes something like this..." He then promptly begins performing a similar, yet distinct dance in front of Nate. Both of them immediately take note of the moves, and promptly memorize each step necessary. Once he notices that they've more-or-less mastered their respective dances, the bespectacled man speaks up.

"So young lady, are you ready?"

"Yeah, sure." she replies

"Well then, here we go!"

***Yancy is challenged by Pokémon Professor ?***

***Pokemon Professor ? sent out Decidueye!***

Yancy: "Go for it, Eve!"

"W-what kind of Pokémon is that!?" Both Yancy and Nate say out loud. At this point, many of the congoers around them also notice the new Pokémon before them, and begin forming a crowd around the booth.

"Woah! Look at that Pokémon…"

"Yeah…"

"Looks cool!"

"Is it a Flying Type?"

"This…" the mystery trainer speaks up. "...is Decidueye! A Grass / Ghost Type Pokémon hailing all the way from the Alola region."

"Alola?"

"Where's that?"

"You mean that isolated tropical island region?"

"Correct." the professor replies to one of the people in the crowd. "Now then, I want to demonstrate to all of you here about what Alola offers. Now then, young lady, may we continue battling?"

"Alright. Let's see what this Z-Crystal can do..." she says as she secures her Z-Power Ring.

Immediately, the Pokemon Professor in front of her begins performing another dance in front of her. A wave of energy then engulfs the Arrow Quill Pokémon.

 ***Decidueye used Bloom Doom!*** While powerful-looking, the damage is only moderate, and Yancy's Sylveon continues standing.

"Now it's your turn, young lady." he then points to Yancy and her Z-Power Ring. "Show us what your Fairium-Z can do!" she nods, and promptly tries to recall the dance moves taught to her.. Instead of the same enthusiastic expression as him, she's has a forced and awkward smile as she tries to execute her Z-Crystal's respective move, but nevertheless manages to get the dance right. Sure enough, a powerful aura envelops the Intertwining Pokémon.

 ***Sylveon used Twinkle Tackle!*** This time, thanks to her Sylveon's higher level, the damage done is more significant, although thanks to having the same normal effectiveness as the previous Z-Move, fails to knock out the foe's Decidueye. Regardless, however, the gathering crowd is in complete awe.

"Woah!"

"Cool!"

"I want to do that!"

"So flashy!"

"So if that's the Fairium Z…" Nate mutters to himself as he secures his own Z-Power Ring "...I wonder how the Waterium Z works…Guess I'll find out soon enough."

"Not bad, young lady. That was a swell performance for our crowd here. Now then, let's continue battling. Decidueye, use **Swords Dance**!"

"Eve, **Attract**!"

"What the-" this catches her opponent by surprise for a moment. He then tries to issue another command, but thanks to Yancy's well-thought of move, fails to register.

***Decidueye is immobilized by love!***

"Eve, use **Draining Kiss**!"

"Decidueye, use **Spirit Shackle**!" this time, the Pokémon registers the command, and it hits Yancy's Sylveon. Thanks to Draining Kiss, however, Eve once again takes the hit and survives.

"Woah!" Nate says. "It even has new moves…"

"Eve, use **Moonblast**!" This move finally proves to the knockout blow.

***The foe's Decidueye fainted.***

***Yancy defeated Pokémon Professor ?***

"Well done, Miss. Well done."

***Yancy received P10,000 for winning!***

"I won!"

"Yes, fine young lady, you did! Here's your prize money."

"Thanks, ahahaha!" she then puts the money away in her purse.

"Well, that was fun." the mystery Pokémon Professor says. "But it isn't over just yet." He then turns his attention to Nate. "Are you ready for this?"

"Sure. After seeing what Z-Crystals and Z-Moves can do, I think I want to try mine out for good measure!"

"That's the spirit!"

***Nate is challenged by Pokémon Professor ?***

***Pokémon Professor ? sent out Lycanroc***

Nate: "Go for it, Samurott!" Just as he sends out the Formidable Pokémon, he takes note of the Pokémon his opponent sent out.

"Another new Pokémon?" he asks.

"Well, my Decidueye _was_ knocked out just recently. Plus, I want to demonstrate another Z-Move and Pokémon to the crowd here."

"Makes sense to me." he then regains his composure and resumes the battle at hand.

Immediately, the opponent trainer commences another dance, again distinct from last one.

 ***Lycanroc used Continental Crush*** As with Yancy's Sylveon, the damage is significant, but not enough to knock out the higher-leveled Water-type.

"So, young man." he addresses Nate. "Care to show what your Waterium-Z can do?"

"Sure thing!" Compared to his girlfriend, he executes the dance moves with more confidence, though like her, he does make a few awkward slips. Sure enough, a bright aura engulfs the Formidable Pokémon.

 ***Samurott used Hydro Vortex!*** Thanks to type advantage, this hit is a guaranteed knockout.

***The foe's Lycanroc fainted!***

"Woah!"

"He got him in one hit!"

"Darn."

"I want to do that cool dance, too!"

***Nate defeated Pokémon Professor ?***

"Nice one, young man! Thanks for the performance."

***Nate received P10,000 for winning!***

"Well, you won fair and square, here's your winnings."

"So, how much for these Z-Power rings?" Nate asks.

"They're yours." he says while trying to hold back laughter.

"WHAT!?" Yancy gasps in surprise.

"HUH!? FOR FREE!?" Nate cluelessly follows up.

"Consider the match we just had to be an informal rite-of-passage."

"C-cool…" he says half-enthusiastically.

"T-thank you, sir…" she says as she bows in gratitude.

"No, thank you. All of you." he addresses both the young couple and the gathered crowd. "For those wondering, my name is Professor Kukui. As you probably know, I hail from the Alola region. I'm here at the Castelia Comic Con to look for potential challengers for our recently founded Pokémon League." Immediately, a lot of the people begin asking numerous questions.

"Now, now. If you all want to know more about Alola and all the stuff you just saw, all of you can talk to my wife, Professor Burnet, over there. She'll be able to tell you about everything that I just demonstrated, and how all of you can apply as challengers for our region's League." Immediately, several strong-looking trainers from the crowd begin inquiring to the other Professor, leaving the three of them alone.

"Hi there, Pokémon Trainers of Unova, I'm Professor Burnet, and I'll give all of you a brief insight of Alola and what the region has to offer…" she then directs them to a slide show right behind her, and continues discussing about the Z-Crystals and Z-Moves, as the various onlookers continue watching.

...

"So…" the Professor asks. "Now that I've introduced myself, do you think I could get your names?"

"I'm Nate."

"Yancy…"

"Wait, am I talking to the Unova League's most recent Champion?"

"H-how did you…"

"I've been hearing a lot of stories about you from other trainers here. About how you lost badly to a certain Champion from Kanto and never seemed to regain your confidence."

"Ugh..."

"But...considering your performance just now, it seems to me you've regained your edge. And with that Z-Power Ring, I think you'll be able to get even with that Red."

"Really now!?"

"Oh. That's right. I forgot to tell you the other functions of your Z-Power Rings."

"Other functions?" Yancy asks. "Like?"

"You can actually equip a Key Stone in place of a Z-Crystal, as well as have the Z-Crystal held by a Pokémon of your choice."

"Key Stone? You mean like this one?" just then, she produces one from her bag.

"Indeed, young lady. All you have to do is just equip it in the same place as the Fairium-Z."

"Isn't that the Key Stone you got from Lisia?" her boyfriend asks her.

"Yup. It's my prized possession. To be honest, though... I haven't used it that much as I'd like. I don't battle that much..."

"That's kind of a waste, there." Professor Kukui says. "With the potential you just showed me, it looks like you could have taken on the Unova Elite Four and Champion."

"Figured so…" Nate interjects. "She did tell me the other day that she already earned the 8 Unova League badges prior…"

"So why didn't you pursue that?"

"I decided to pursue other interests...Namely, as a singer and as a host on the Celebrity Channel."

"Wait, you're Nancy!?" he asks. "Could you remove your hat, please?" She promptly does so, confirming his suspicions.

"Do you think I could have an autograph? I'm a fan of your show and your songs."

"Y-yeah sure…" she admits. He then pulls out a notebook from one of his pockets, which she promptly picks up. She then signs her autograph on a blank page. "Here…" she then hands back the Professor's notebook to its owner.

"By the way…If she's Nancy, then that means you're also…"

"Yup...looks like another secret of ours is out…ugh..." he says with resignation all over his face. "And yes...I'm Lack-Two…"

"Wow...Just when I thought one celebrity was enough...Could I have your autograph too? I'm a fan of the comics btw…"

"Sure, why not? I don't see a point in refusing..." he then signs his autograph just below Yancy's.

"Thanks, and don't worry about me spilling your little secrets." For a minute, both of them breathe a sigh of relief. But that soon changes when the both of them take a look around them. Sure enough, there were a bunch of people next to them, apparently having heard everything they've just said.

"Woah! Did I just hear that right?"

"Wait, Nate is Lack-Two!?"

"Wasn't that obvious before!?"

"Can't believe they just said that out loud…"

"So, it is true…"

"No wonder that Samurott looked familiar…"

"And she's Nancy!?"

"She...looks better that way…"

"She's cute!"

"So refined…"

"Darn…" Nate mutters.

"Oh dear…" Yancy mutters back, putting her hat back on in the process out of embarrassment.

"S-sorry, you two..." Professor Kukui apologizes with sincerity. "Really didn't expect them to hear our little conversation."

"It's fine…I think the secret was going to come out sooner or later, anyway…" he reassures the Professor. "Anyways, thanks a lot, sir. We'll make it a point to make use of these Z-Power Rings." Before parting ways, the Professor makes one last remark to the both of them.

"Oh yeah. I think you might want this." he hands out a card to the young man, which details his lab's address in the Alola region. "Consider this and your new Z-Power Rings as an official invitation to the Alola League if ever you're interested."

"We'll consider it somewhere down the line…" they then wave the Professor goodbye, and decide to deal with the new problem on-hand.

"So, now that that's out of the way…(What do we do about this crowd?)" he whispers to his girlfriend nervously.

"(Guess we'd better come clean, then…)" Yancy says with resignation herself.

"Come clean...W-what are you-? Now?"

She then addresses the congoers in front of them. "Yes, to those wondering, I...Yancy Ruri...am Nancy…" she then bows in front of them. This surprises the crowd more, as they never expected her to act so humble and down-to-earth.

Nate then speaks up. "And…I...Nathan Kyouhei, most recent Champion of Unova...am Lack-Two."

This immediately causes a stir in the crowd. Eventually, a familiar face and voice is heard emerging out the crowd.

"Christoph!?" Both of them say simultaneously. "What are you...Oh…Right..."

"Honestly though...a second time in a row that I interview you two, and only a day apart? Man, how I wish I was you right now, Nancy…" with no other real options, they decide to accompany him for an interview over lunch at a nearby restaurant, with several onlookers following them, trying to get pictures or video clips of them. During this entire time, they explain to the Celebrity Channel host about their exact reasons for living the double lives they've had until now, as well as a look into their pasts. Naturally, his, and by extent the people around them, are all stunned and at the same time moved by their accounts.

_**Around two and a half hours later…** _

"Thanks again for the scoop, you two." Christoph says. "It'll probably be out either tonight or tomorrow afternoon." With that, they wave goodbye to their green-haired acquaintance.

"What time was the auction?" Yancy asks Nate.

"Let me check that pamphlet again." He then grabs it from his bag, and takes a look at his Xtransceiver. "Says here it's around 2PM at Hall D. And it's...Oh, cripe!"

"Nate? What's wrong?"

"Yancy, we've got to hurry! It's already 1:45PM!"

Realizing this, both of them make a dash back to the convention center.


	15. Fighting For Fate, Act 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A chapter involving Hugh, Yancy, an auction, a Pokemon Battle, and a highly-valued item.

**Chapter 15: Fighting For Fate, Act 3**

Fortunately, both of them manage to make it back to the convention center, and make their way to Hall D. At this point, the hall is packed full, with several congoers conversing amongst each other, as well as several Castelia Comics writers and staff present. At the stage, a huge poster is set up, indicating the aforementioned announcement of who would be playing Lucario Kid for the next film in the Castelia Comics Cinematic Universe. A banner on top of the poster indicates the auction, with Elesa hosting it. As they make their way to closer to the stage, two familiar voices greet them.

"Nate!" Rosa screams.

"Over here!" Hugh tells them. Sure enough, both of them take a seat next to them, with Nate sitting next to Hugh and Yancy sitting next to Rosa for the time being.

"How was the con?" he asks his best friend. Instead of replying, Nate shows him what exactly he got from earlier.

"Woah, that's a cool-looking bracelet. Where'd you get it?" he then points to his friend's right arm, where said device is.

"Long story. You wouldn't be interested." he replies.

"I'm listening."

"Well, there was this weird Pokémon Professor from this faraway region called Alola. So he tells me and Yancy that they got this new Pokémon League there, and he offers us these Z-Power Rings as a form of official invitation to their challenge."

"Sounds cool… So what do these rings do?" As the two of them continue discussing, Yancy and Rosa begin conversing with each other.

"I heard about what happened earlier…" she tells her acquaintance-turned-friend.

"So...I'm guessing you were in that crowd gathered around us?"

"No, not really... We just heard about it from the commotion from other congoers just now. So why go through the trouble of revealing all of that information? Here and now, of all places?"

"Long story short...The guy who gave us these Z-Power Rings found out my identity as Nancy…"

"Ouch…"

"And worse, the people around us heard it, and the rumor spread like wildfire…"

"Why didn't you just try to hide it?"

"Well, as Nate said, at the rate we were going, our secrets were going to come out eventually. Didn't help that Christoph, my co-worker, was in that crowd..."

"Honestly, that's quite the brave thing you two did." she compliments her.

"Yeah… And honestly, you can imagine that I and Nate were nervous the entire time we were being interviewed at that restaurant. Even some of the staff there we're taking the time to listen to our confessions."

"I can imagine that. If they found out my screen-name, I'd freak out and refuse to show my face from here for a few solid months."

Just as both of them finish recounting their stories from earlier, a voice is heard over a microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Castelia Comics forum and sponsored auction will begin in 5 minutes." the host says. Shortly thereafter, a familiar-looking face is spotted entering the hall.

"Hey look, it's Elesa!" a spectator shouts. Sure enough, there was the Nimbasa City Gym Leader, accompanied by a young man in a baseball cap and blue jacket.

"Elesa!?" immediately, Yancy turns her attention to her idol, hoping to get an autograph at some point. Nate, meanwhile, takes a good look at the familiar-looking young man.

"Wait a minute...That guy. I think I've heard about him from somewhere more than once, but I can't quite remember where…Hugh, got any idea?"

"Nope… Not a clue. You're right though, he does seem familiar." As they continue contemplating, the Nimbasa Gym Leader and the unknown young man head toward the stage. The latter then picks up a microphone and begins addressing the audience.

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen! To those who don't know who I am, I'm Black, the former Unova League Champion. I've just returned from a journey across a few other regions, and I've been invited to this event for something important."

"And I'm Elesa, as you all know. Just a quick announcement: Mr. Stu Deeoh unfortunately can't make it here today due to his busy schedule. So he asked me and Mr. Touya here to sponsor this event in his place." Immediately, the audience, including Yancy, begin to get hyped. In Nate's case, however...

"(He's Black!? The former Champion Black!? The same Black mentioned by Cheren and Bianca?)" He whispers in disbelief.

"(I'm just as surprised as you are…)" Hugh replies. "(He looks...surprisingly average for a former League Champion)."

"(Yeah, now that I think about it... He's not unlike me that regard...)"

Not long after this reveal, the two hosts then begin the program proper, first with the important announcement regarding the Castelia Comics films.

"So, I'm guessing you're all wondering why I, Black Touya, former Champion of Unova, am here right now. Since Mr. Deeoh isn't here, I'll be the one to make the important announcement. I've been chosen by the Castelia Comics staff to be the new Lucario Kid."

"He's the new Lucario Kid!?" Nate screams in disbelief.

"That's right, Lack-Two." He addresses the surprised young man directly.

"H-how did you -?"

"Really? How would I not find our after all that commotion earlier? I just heard about that whole shenanigan…Quite the brave move for you and Nancy to come clean like that in public."

"Oh...right…heh..." Subsequently, the people in the audience then begin to turn their attention to him.

"Anyway, I'll be looking forward to working alongside you in future projects." he tells his peer.

"Same here..."

"Now then… Elesa, I'll leave the next announcement to you." he then hands the floor to his co-host.

"Now that that's out of the way, I think we should get on with the main event. I'm guessing all of you are wondering what we're auctioning here today, right?" Immediately, most of the crowd, including Yancy, begin cheering.

"YEAH!"

"YES!"

"WE DO!"

"Alright, unveil the item!" the curtains behind her then pull back to reveal a familiar-looking stone placed in a special glove, as well as another object right next to it. It soon becomes apparent to Nate what exactly they're planning on auctioning.

"Wait, isn't that...a Key Stone?"

"A Key Stone?" Hugh asks Nate. "You mean like the ones Red and Steven use, right?" Instead of replying, however, his friend continues fixating on the stones and the glove. "Hey are you listening?"

"Oh, sorry…What were you asking about again?"

"I was asking about the Key Stone."

"Oh right. Yeah, like the ones they use…"

Pretty soon, his suspicions are confirmed.

"For the closing event of the Castelia Comic Con, we'll be auctioning this old trinket from the original Lucario Kid film made 30 years back." Elesa then asks Black to carry on.

"And in case you're wondering, yes, these are the actual Key Stone and Lucarionite used during the shooting of that film series. The glove is a replica, made in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the first film's release." Immediately, both Hugh and Nate become even more interested in the stones, their inner comic book fans urging them to have it for themselves.

"I WANT THAT!" both of them scream.

"Sigh...There they go again…" Rosa remarks.

"They were always like this?" Yancy asks her friend.

"Yup...As far back as when all three of us were in Trainer's school...They'd keep boasting to the others in class about how they got this new Sneasel Ninja or Lucario Kid action figure, or this collectable, and that rare comic book. Once they get into it, they won't stop..."

"Kind of reminds me of how I am whenever I participate in a contest or musical, ahaha..."

"Pretty much, ehehe…" Having competed against her in Pokémon Musicals prior, she agrees wholeheartedly. "I can still remember how you just barely beat me the last time…ugh..."

After a few minutes of entertaining questions from other audience members, Elesa and Black begin the auction proper. In response, Nate and Hugh move next to Yancy and Rosa, respectively.

"Nervous?" Yancy asks her boyfriend.

"Yeah…Kind of." He replies, his face showing half determination, and half uncertainty.

"Don't worry. Like I said, I'll help you when I can." She then embraces his left arm as reassurance. Not long after, a man in a business suit arrives onto the stage, clearly an auctioneer hired specifically for the event.

"Alright, for this auction, we'll be starting at...P50, 000." As soon as the auctioneer says this, several hands are raised, including Nate's and Hugh's own. Not long after this, several other prominent-looking people in the audience begin raising their own arms when the auctioneer raises the price to P60,000. As the minutes go by, the price increases by P10, 000 with each passing offer. After what feels like an eternity, the price finally reaches P1, 000, 000. Even so, many rich-looking attendees continue offering bids, and Nate and Hugh themselves have spared no expense and show no signs of stopping either. Following this, the auction price begins to increase by the million.

"Giving up yet?" Hugh asks his friend.

"Not a chance…" Nate replies, his face still rife with determination. A few minutes after this, the auction price reaches an all-time high.

"Now then, going for P10,000,000!" Many of the rich attendees who had earlier been offering bids by now have pulled out of the auction, either due to reluctance to spend any more or due to insufficient funds. Hugh, however, thanks to his persistence, actually does make the P10,000,000 bid, thanks to Rosa providing him additional cash at the last minute.

"D-darn...I don't think I brought enough…Yancy, I'm sorry to ask this, but…" Before he can finish talking to her, she pulls a bid by herself.

"P10, 000, 000 here!" she then raises her hand.

"H-huh!?" Nate, Hugh, and Rosa all scream out loud. The latter then speaks up "Y-yancy, are you sure about bidding that P10,000,000 all by your lonesome? You sure you wouldn't want to just help Nate's situation?"

"I'm absolutely sure. I am the daughter of the President of one of Unova's richest companies, after all."

"Oh, it looks like Nancy's decided to join in." Black says. "This is gonna be interesting…"

"P10,000,000! Anyone else trying for more than ten million!?" the auctioneer tells the crowd. However, his question falls on deaf ears, many of the bidders having already made their minds.

"Alright! Bid closes at P10,000,000! Auction is closed to the two remaining bidders!" A new problem arises, however, which Black and Elesa are only too glad to tell.

"It seems we've hit a snag." Elesa says. Her co-host then follows up. "Either one of you takes either of the two items and agrees to split, or you negotiate with the other." Hearing this, Hugh's expression changes to that of frustration.

"No way am I splitting the prize. I've saved up for just this occasion, and I plan on getting what I came for!" Hearing this, Black then redirects his attention to Yancy, the other winning bidder.

"So, Nan-, I mean...Yancy, right? How do you plan on settling this matter?" For a minute, she takes a look around her, taking side glances at Nate, Elesa, and Rosa. She then looks down for a brief moment, then has a eureka moment upon looking at her Z-Power Ring and Key Stone. She then begins speaking up.

"I…"

"Hm?" Both Black and Hugh are surprised by this. The latter then begins assuming that she'll concede and allow him to have both items without a challenge. This assumption is immediately shattered by what she says next.

"I'll battle you for it!" she replies.

"WHA-" Hugh says as he's caught completely by surprise.

"Woah!" Black says, apparently impressed by her statement.

"Impressive…" Elesa mutters.

Rosa, having just heard her statement, has a delayed reaction of mixed confusion and surprise. "Uhhh….HUH!? WHAT!?"

"D-did my girlfriend just...ask for a battle against my best friend?" Nate mutters in confusion. "This sounds too good to be true…" But it was all true. Her expression was determined, and she looked poised to battle him for it. This was all apparently so that she could help her boyfriend, as well as get Elesa's attention and approval.

Rosa then takes a look at her childhood friend. "Aren't you going to try and stop her?"

"I don't think I can at this point…" he replies. He then takes a look at his girlfriend once more. "That look on her face tells me she means it...And to think this is what she meant when she said that she'd be here for me..."

"So Yancy… Is this your final answer?" Black asks her. The pink-haired girl nods in reply. "So, Hugh, are you willing to battle Yancy for both of the auctioned items?" By now, his expression has changed from initial shock to enthusiasm.

"Heck yes! And you, Yancy, are about to feel my rage! I won't lose! Compared to Nate, you're gonna be a walk in the park. "

"Ahahaha! We'll see…" she calmly replies with a smile.

***Yancy is challenged by PokémonTrainer Hugh!***

***Pokémon Trainer Hugh sent out Unfezant***

"Go for it, Togekiss!" Yancy then sends out the Jubilee Pokémon.

"Togekiss, use Air Slash!" the move hits the Proud Pokemon, and causes moderate damage.

***The foe's Unfezant flinched and cannot move!***

"Not bad. But I'm not going down so easily! Unfezant, return!" He then withdraws his Pokemon and immediately unleashes another. "Go, Eelektross!" In response, she calmly withdraws her own Pokémon.

"Togekiss, come back!" she then produces another Poke Ball. "Go, Mawile!"

"Mawile? Heh…" Hugh asks her. "You do realize my Eelektross has type coverage, right?"

"..." she remains silent. Just as he's about to pull off his next move, she activates the Key Stone on her Z-Power Ring.

"W-wait, what!? A Key Stone!?" Hugh realizes to his horror. Sure enough, the Deceiver Pokemon begins Mega evolving.

***Mawile has Mega Evolved into Mega Mawile!***

***Mawile used Sucker Punch!*** Thanks to the Mega Evolution and its ability, it causes heavy damage to the EleFish Pokemon, which catches Hugh completely off-guard.

"Impressive…" he replies with a degree of respect. "But, I'm not finished yet…Eelektross, Flamethrower!" the move is a direct hit, and while it is super effective, the damage is minimized thanks to Mega Mawile's increased defense stats.

"Mawile, Sucker Punch!" this second move in a row knocks out the EleFish Pokemon.

"Darn…" her opponent then produces another Poke Ball. "Go for it, Simisear!" Again, in response, she withdraws her Pokemon and switches it out for another one.

"Go get him, Azumarill!"

 ***Simisear used Flamethrower!*** With her timely switch, the flames instead hit the dual Water/Fairy type. Thanks to the Aqua Rabbit Pokemon's high HP, the damage is minimal.

"Azumarill, Waterfall!" It's a super effective hit, and it instantly knocks out the Ember Pokemon.

"Darn…" By now, Hugh has lost his earlier enthusiasm, having realized his mistake in underestimating his opponent. "Go get ém Serperior!"

Again, Yancy timely withdraws her current Pokémon, and sends her Togekiss back out.

"Togekiss, Air Slash!" This move is a critical hit, and knocks out Regal Pokémon.

"No way! My ace..."

Not long after this, Hugh's Boufallant and Unfezant get knocked out in quick succession, although the former succeeds in knocking out her Azumarill in return. This briefly gives him a glimmer of hope that he'll be able to turn the tide despite being down to his last Pokémon.

"You're my last chance. Do it, Flygon!"

"Dedenne, return! Go, Eve!" Her Intertwining Pokémon then comes out.

"What are you going to do? Snuggle my Flygon to death? No more Mr. Nice guy, I'm going to get that Key Stone as long as I can still fight! Now, Flygon! Use Draco Meteor!" Thanks to the Mystic Pokémon's faster speed, Hugh is able to strike first. Yancy, however, remains composed and in fact begins to chuckle despite her Sylveon apparently getting knocked out.

"What's so funny?" He asks his opponent.

"Ahahaha...You don't know, do you?"

"Know what? I just knocked out your…" Upon taking a closer look at the battle, however, he soon realizes why she's smiling.

"N-no way! H-how!?"

"Don't you realize Fairy types are completely immune to Dragon-Types?" she says calmly.

"H-huh!? Oh...cripe...Now I remember…Darn..." His expression then changes from shock to resigned fate. Instead of immediately ordering a move, Yancy instead begins performing the Fairium Z-Move dance. Hugh, not knowing about the Z-Crystals, begins laughing.

"What the heck are you doing? Trying to cheer me up knowing I've already lost?"

"Nope…not a taunt." she replies. "It's for...This!" Upon saying this, she completes the necessary steps for activating her Sylveon's held Fairium-Z. Like with her previous battle against Prof. Kukui, an aura envelops the Intertwining Pokémon.

***Sylveon used Twinkle Tackle***

***The Foe's Flygon fainted***

***Yancy defeated Pokémon Trainer Hugh!***

"Ugh...Fine, I concede."

***Yancy got P15,000 for winning***

"And the winner is Yancy!" Black announces. The audience, including Nate and Rosa, who had been quietly observing the whole battle, now begin cheering out loud. Despite being practically humiliated, Hugh chooses to face her.

"I...I should apologize for...for underestimating you." He says as he hands her her prize money.

"Ahahaha! Apology accepted." She then extends her left hand out.

"Y-you're not mad?" He then reluctantly shakes her hand in response.

"Nope. I know you're actually a nice person, if a tad bit too hot-blooded. Nate told me a little about you earlier."

"I see...I think I should properly introduce myself now that things have been cleared up. I'm Hugh."

"Yancy."

Following this, Hugh disappears into the audience.

"Well Nate that was fun to watch. Think I'd better take him with me for now. See you around!" She then waves goodbye to her childhood friend. The other couple soon disappear into the crowd of people outside Hall D.

Immediately following this, Yancy then receives the Lucarionite, Key Stone, and Lucario Kid-themed Mega Glove from Black and the auctioneer. In return, she hands them a check listing P10,000,000 to her bank account. Following this, she is approached by Elesa.

"So, you're Yancy?" The Nimbasa Gym Leader tells the pink-haired girl.

"E-Elesa!" It becomes pretty apparent that she never expected to be approached by one of her idols. "Y-yeah...I am."

"Quite the impressive feat you did there."

"T-thank you, Miss Elesa..."

"And I heard about that whole incident from earlier. To think you're actually Nancy. Again, quite the impressive feat you pulled off. It must have been difficult for you and your boyfriend to have to come clean like that."

"I-it was..." Before leaving, the Gym Leader then hands her something. "Oh, by the way..."

"Hm?"

"I think you might be interested in this." She then hands a piece of paper to the pink-haired trainer. Upon reading the stuff written on it,

"M-me!? You want me as the leading role in the next Castelia Comics film!? I...I couldn't…"

"I think you've proven yourself suited for the role in that battle just now, not to mention being able to act so confident in front of a camera for so long as Nancy. Part of the reason Mr. Deeoh couldn't make it was that he and the Castelia Comics staff were deciding on who should be cast for this role. So they asked me to scout for a possible candidate."

"..."

"Well, how about it?"

"I...I'll think about it...I can't just decide on this matter overnight..."

"That's the spirit. Well, Yancy, I'll be seeing you." Elesa then promptly leaves, and begins conversing with members of the audience.

Nate then suddenly makes it through the crowd and joins his girlfriend. "Yancy...T-thanks...For everything, I mean. To be honest, I think I should have been the one up there..."

"No need to thank me or apologize, Nate. I said I'd be there for you." He then notices the paper she's holding.

"What's that?"

"This? I just got it from Elesa." She then hands the paper over to him. Upon skimming through its pages, he becomes visibly excited.

"You!? As Magical Princess Sylveon!?"

"Yeah...Elesa decided to pick me to play the role in the next Castelia Comics film…"

"You're not happy about it?"

"Not really...I still have my work as a TV host and singer to worry about…"

"Good point…But, if you do decide to take this role, you'd probably be able to see me more, considering this film is also in the Castelia Comics Cinematic Universe." Upon hearing this, she begins to change her mind, although there was still a hint of conflict in her face.

"Really? In that case, I think I'll have to discuss this with my dad later. Oh, right! And, I believe these are yours." She then hands him the auctioned items.

"Cool...I can't thank you again enough…" He then begins checking out the items in question, before deciding to fit the Key Stone in his Z-Power Ring and equipping the Lucarionite to his Lucario. "With this, I think I'll be able to get even with…" Before he can finish his sentence though, Yancy's Xtransceiver rings.

"Yancy." Her father says. "You and your boyfriend won't need to Fly or go here by yourselves later. I've arranged a car to pick you two up from there in two hours. I and your mother will be seeing you later, darling."

"Bye, dad..." He then promptly hangs up.

"Is your father a nice guy?" He asks nervously. "He seems kind of scary to be honest...Hope he doesn't try to kill me if he finds out what we've been doing together…"

"Ahahaha...No he won't. He just puts up that professional image because of his position, but I think he'll warm up to you in no time." She says reassuringly.

"So, now that that's out of the way, what now?" He asks her.

"How about we keep going around?"

"Sounds good..."

...

_**Around two hours later...After going around and enjoying the others booths at the convention, and following several fans of theirs getting both their autograph, they both make it out of the convention center tired and exhausted from the day's activities.** _

**…**

"Whew…That...Was tiring." Nate says, exhausted. "Can't believe so many of them came to get our autographs…"

"Ahaha...Yeah." Yancy replies. "And many of them still can't believe I'm this meek…"

As soon as they catch their breaths, Yancy's Xtransceiver, once again, begins ringing. This time the caller stays in voice-only mode.

"Miss Yancy. I'm the driver tasked by Mr. Ruri to bring you and your boyfriend to the Ruri Estate. I'm at the parking located near Hall A. I'm in the white luxury car parked near the entrance." The driver then promptly hangs up.

"Well, guess that's where we're going." They then head to the aforementioned parking lot, and find the car in question, with the chauffeur waiting right next to it.

"Good evening, Miss Yancy and Sir Nate. Please, step in." Without a word, both of them enter the car, with him letting her move in first, before he steps in himself. Pretty soon, the driver gets in, starts up the car, and heads out of the parking lot and into the busy streets of Castelia City.

Upon reaching the city limits, they begin taking the skyway. Taking a look outside the car's window, Nate begins conversing with Yancy for the first time since getting in.

"Sure feels different riding in a car than it is walking or using a Flying around with a Pokémon. Honestly, I've never been through here this way before. Is this something you do routinely?"

"Not anymore."

"Not...anymore?"

"I used to be driven around like this as a kid, especially when I was in studying in an exclusive Trainer's School. Ever since I became a Pokémon Trainer, I've been walking and Flying to get where I want."

"Makes sense... But I can't deny that there's this nice feeling to enjoying the scenery while in a car."

"Yeah..." She then leans her head on his shoulder, as both of them begin to drift asleep amidst the traffic delaying them to their destination.


	16. Test of Fate, Act 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nate is introduced by Yancy to her parents, who live in a large mansion near Undella Town.

**Chapter 16: Test of Fate, Act 1**

_**An hour and a half later, after getting off the main highway…** _

"Miss Yancy, Sir Nate, please get up." the chauffeur tells them. "We're almost there."

Sure enough, both of them wake up to find that they've indeed reached Undella Town, specifically the eastern end of the town, and are already making their way to Undella Bay further east. The car then reaches the gate of the Ruri estate, which automatically opens.

"Darn…This place is bigger than I thought it would be." Nate mutters.

"Ahaha. You're not the first one to say that." His girlfriend replies. "Many of my dad's business associates have said the same thing when they first went here."

Upon entering the gate, they begin driving through a forested area before reaching the Estate proper, which is located on the top of a cliff overlooking the Bay area. The chauffeur then drops them off at the main entrance.

"Here we are, Sir Nate and Miss Yancy." Both of them then get off the car, and proceed through the elegant front door. Once inside, they're met by the Ruri's family butler.

"Good evening, Miss Yancy." The family butler greets her. He then turns his attention to her boyfriend. "So, this is Sir Nate?"

"Yes. And, good evening to you too. Is dad in the living room?"

"That is correct, Miss." He then accompanies them into the living room, where Mr. and Mrs. Ruri are shown seated. Notable is that her mother looks like an older version of her, while her father, up close, actually looks quite good for someone apparently in his 40s.

"Dad, Mom." She tells her parents as she bows to them.

"Yancy." Her dad replies. "Have a seat over there and ask your "friend" to introduce himself to us." Both of them comply, and sit down on the couch opposite theirs.

"I...I'm Nathan Kyouhei. I-I've been going out with your daughter ever since we met in Nimbasa City a while back. A-and I'm also the most recent Unova League Champion and the movie star Lack Two…" He tells them nervously while looking down at the floor. For what seems like an hour, there's an awkward silence between both parties, until Mrs. Ruri speaks.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Kyouhei. I'm Elizabeth Ruri, Yancy's mom." She then redirects her attention to her husband. "See Jack? He's the perfect guy for her."

"Perhaps." He says in a deadpan tone. "But I want to see his worth in strength. You said you were the most recent Pokemon League Champion, correct?"

"Y-yes, Mr. Ruri."

"Well, I've done my research about you, and it says that you officially resigned almost a year after you attained the title following a defeat at the hands of the Kanto League Champion Red."

"Y-you see, sir, I…"

"Don't get me wrong. I think you're a good man. I apologize for giving you the wrong first impression. You're rich, my daughter clearly loves you, my wife just said you're trustworthy, and I'm honestly a fan of some of the films you've done. So no need to be so nervous around us." Nate's earlier nervousness fades away as he comes to realize that what Yancy said to him earlier was true: her father was indeed nicer than he looked, if a tad bit scary-looking.

"Alright, Mr. Ruri."

"Please, call me Jack." Instead of replying, he simply nods back in compliance. "Now then, back on topic. I know you're a strong Trainer, and I know you love my daughter. But, I want to test your resolve."

"My...resolve?"

"I think you don't possess the resolve needed if you're indeed planning on marrying my daughter and inheriting our fortune." Immediately, the young couple become surprised and embarrassed by his statement, with his daughter's face flushed in red. Even Mrs. Ruri is visibly shocked by his statement.

"M-marry!? F-fortune!?"

"D-DAD!"

"Jack…I think you're thinking too far ahead...They're still too young for that kind of stuff."

"Hehe...Sorry." He apologizes. "But, the thing is, Nate, if you're really serious about this relationship with my daughter, this is something that you'll eventually have to consider. She's the sole heiress of Ruri Holdings and our family's fortune. Her two siblings can't do this since my father's deed states that only a blood descendant can inherit the fortune." Finding this weird, he whispers to his girlfriend, unwittingly ignoring the rest of her father's words.

"(Your siblings are adopted?)"

"(Yes. Long story. I'll tell you all about it later...)"

"...I want you to battle our daughter." This catches the young man completely by surprise, apparently having come out of nowhere. It helps that he wasn't listening to the rest of what he had been saying.

"W-what? You're kidding, right?"

"Dad…Enough with the jokes, please...It's embarrassing..."

"I'm serious, you two. Nate, I want you to have a Pokemon battle with Yancy, as proof of your strength and resolve to me and Elizabeth here. I don't care if you win or lose. I just want you to impress me. And I don't see a point in trying to separate you two."

"Huh? T-that's a relief...But, could I ask why exactly?"

"The looks in both your eyes remind me of when I first met Elizabeth back when we were your ages. Oh, those were the days…"

"Oh, Jack…" His wife then begins embracing him, which leads to Yancy becoming even more embarrassed, and Nate himself awkwardly staring at the 3 family members.

"Mom, Dad…Not in front of my boyfriend, please..." In an attempt to get back on-topic, Nate asks Mr. Ruri about what he said earlier.

"So...uh. Do you want us to battle here and now?"

"O-oh, sorry." He then kindly gets his wife to let go, which she realizes all too late. "About that, yes, and no."

"Huh?"

"Yes, but not here, of course. That would mess up this lovely-looking living room. Follow me." Mr. and Mrs. Ruri then stand up, followed immediately by Nate and Yancy. They then accompany the young couple to the yard at the back of the estate. During their short walk, he continues whispering to Yancy relating to the question he asked her earlier.

"(So, about your siblings. They're adopted, right?)"

"(Yeah. Mom and dad took them in when I was under Lisia and living with my uncle in Hoenn.)"

Upon reaching the estate's yard, Nate is immediately taken in by the vastness of the place.

"Woah…"

"Woah, indeed." Yancy's father replies. "I'm guessing Yancy told you already that many a visitor to this place are in awe at first sight of this place? Hahahaha…"

"Yeah, she did...To be honest, I've always been kind of curious about this place ever since I first visited Undella Town."

"Guess you got your wish, then."

"So, is this where you want the two of us to battle?"

"Yup, right over there, near this veranda. In fact, this is where me, Yancy, Cindy, and Ricky would battle with me every weekend." He and Mrs. Ruri then take their seats

"They're Yancy's adopted siblings, right? Where are they? Can I meet them now?"

"Sadly, they can't make it here today." Yancy replies to him. "They're studying in an exclusive school in Kalos, and they only come back here for Christmas and Summer Vacations."

"I see…" He says in disappointment. "I was kind of hoping to meet them after all those stories you've been telling me about them…"

"You'll meet them in due time…" She then moves opposite to Nate. "Anyways, I think it's time we do battle."

"Y-yeah…" Both of them subsequently begin healing their Pokémon, as well as preparing the items necessary for a prolonged battle. After a few minutes, Nate speaks up.

"R-ready?" He tells her as he readies his Poké Ball.

"Y-yup!" She replies, her own Poké Ball ready in her own hands.

"Nervous?" He asks her.

"Y-yeah…"

"Honestly, I am too...Battling you, and all. And in front of your parents, no less…"

"Nate…" She blushes as she smiles, then subsequently grips her Poké Ball. "Alright, I'm ready, for real this time!"

"Alright, let's battle."

***Nate is challenged by Pokémon Trainer Yancy!***

***Pokémon Trainer Yancy sent out Togekiss!***

"Go, Braviary!"

"Braviary, use Rock Slide!" This move, surprisingly, is enough to take down the equally tough Jubilee Pokémon in one hit, thanks in part to being a timely critical hit.

 ***The foe's Togekiss fainted!*** Both he and his opponent are surprised at the ease at which the Valiant Pokémon took down his foe.

"W-woah!"

"H-huh!? A Critical hit? Aww..." Getting over her initial surprise and disappointment, she grabs another Poké Ball.

"Impressive." Mr. Ruri says.

***Yancy sent out Klefki!***

"Braviary, return!" Nate then produces another Poké Ball, and calls his next Pokémon out. "Go for it, Lucario!" Immediately, Yancy expression changes to that of , knowing exactly what would come next for her party.

"Time to test this baby out!" He then activates the Key Stone on his Z-Power Ring.

***Lucario Mega Evolved into Mega Lucario!***

"Klefki, use Spikes!" Thanks to the Key Ring Pokemon's Prankster ability, she's able to pull this move off before Nate's Lucario can make its move.

***Lucario used Blaze Kick!***

***The foe's Klefki fainted!***

"Darn, this thing was so worth the P10,000,000 auction…" Despite her second Pokemon getting knocked out, she begins laughing in agreement.

"Ahahaha...Yup." She replies. "But...This is battle is far from over." She then produces another Poke Ball.

"Go for it, Mawile!" Immediately, Nate's expression changes into a serious one upon getting a glimpse of the Deceiver Pokemon. Sure enough, she activates the Key Stone on her own Z-Power Ring.

***The foe's Mawile Mega Evolved into Mega Mawile!***

"Lucario, Blaze Kick!" While super effective, thanks to the Mega Evolution, Yancy's Pokemon survives with moderate damage, and Yancy immediately makes her next move.

"Mawile, use Play Rough!" The move hits the Aura Pokemon, and causes moderate damage.

"Darn, that Pokemon hits hard…" Nate says. "Still, I'm not going to back down. Not when I have a chance of defeating Red!"

 ***The foe's Mawile used Sucker Punch!*** This move causes moderate damage, and Nate's Lucario is reduced to red HP. This initially worries Nate, but he immediately becomes relieved upon seeing his Aura Pokémon still standing, albeit heavily injured.

 ***Lucario used Blaze Kick!*** Like the first Blaze Kick used, this move hits the Mega Evolved Deceiver Pokémon hard, but not enough to knock the foe out.

Instead of ordering moves for both their Pokémon the next turn, they both pull out Full Restores from their bags, and subsequently use them on their injured Pokémon.

"Lucario, Blaze Kick!" But before he his Pokemon can pull off the move, she withdraws her Mawile and switches it out for her Azumarill. When the move does hit, it only causes light damage to the Aqua Rabbit Pokemon.

"Nice timing." He compliments his girlfriend.

"Thanks." She replies. "You were getting kind of predictable back there, so I just did the natural thing and switched out."

"Y-yeah...Right…" He realizes. Before she can call out her Pokemon's next move, he promptly switches out as well. However, thanks to her Klefki's earlier move, Nate's new Pokemon takes some damage.

"Finish her off, Serperior!"

 ***The foe's Azumarill used Waterfall!*** While powerful, thanks to the Regal Pokemon's typing, Nate's Pokemon survives the hit with only light damage.

"Aww…" Yancy says in disappointment.

"Hahaha…" Nate replies in laughter. "Like you said, predictable. So I'm doing the same thing." Realizing her own mistake, she begins laughing with him.

"Serperior, Leaf Storm!" Being a super effective move, it instantly knocks out the Aqua Rabbit Pokemon. Instead of the Regal Pokemon's Special Attack harshly lowering, it instead increases sharply.

"C-Contrary!?" She reacts in astonishment. "Your Serperior has Contrary!?"

"Yup." He replies. "I've been doing some trading and training here and there, and this was one of the Pokemon I got from that."

"I see…Then in that case, let me show you some more of the Pokemon I've been training…Go, Mawile!"

"Serperior, come back!" Immediately, he pulls out a familiar Poke Ball. "Finish her off, Lucario!" Again, Nate's Pokemon is hurt by the Spikes.

"Lucario, Blaze Kick!" Unlike the first two times, this one proves to be a critical hit on the Deceiver Pokemon, reducing its HP to critical status, and this time it leaves a massive burn.

 ***The foe's Mawile used Play Rough!*** Thanks to the burn, the damage is significantly less, and the Aura Pokemon takes the hit with only light damage. Following this attack, the Deceiver Pokemon gets hurt by the burn, finally knocking it out.

"I-it's not over yet…" Despite her statement, however, she's down to only two of her Pokemon, the rest having been knocked out one-by-one by Nate's team in the minutes prior. She seems to have realized this, as her eyes and tone of voice indicate. "Go for it, Dedenne…"

"Lucario, use Earthquake!" Once again, another super effective attack, and once again, another Pokemon taken out.

"Well..." Yancy says. "Guess that leaves me with no choice, huh?" She then pulls out her final Poke Ball. "Go...Eve, I know you can do it!"

"Lucario, Bullet Punch!" Thanks to the Mega Evolved Aura Pokemon's Adaptability ability, this normally weak move's power is boosted. This, combined with the super effective hit, reduces the foe's Pokemon's HP to...one!?

***The foe's Sylveon held out. It looks like it's about to cry.***

"WHAT THE-!? HOW!?" Nate reacts with astonishment.

"Ahahaha…" Yancy giggles as her expression shifts to that of determination. "Just some love and grooming…Now then. Eve, Attract!" This move immediately causes Nate's Lucario to become infatuated.

"Cripe!"

For the start of the next turn, instead of attacking, Yancy uses a Full Restore on her Pokemon. Nate on the other hand tries to order his Lucario to attack its foe, to no avail.

"D-darn...Now I think I know how Hugh felt earlier..." He mutters.

"Ahahaha...That'll teach you not to underestimate me, either…I may be your girlfriend, but no way am I going easy on you here." Hearing this, her boyfriend's expression then changes to that of enthusiastic determination.

"Bring it on." He replies. "Lucario, return!" He then produces another Poke Ball from his roster. "Go Braviary!" Just as he finishes sending out the Valiant Pokemon though, his opponent does something all to familiar…

"Cripe!" His face says it all, realizing that his Braviary can't tank the foe's Z-Move.

***The foe's Sylveon used Twinkle Tackle!***

***Braviary fainted!***

"D-darn...Caught off guard again…But, now that that's taken care of…Go for it, Lucario!" Again, the Aura Pokemon is hurt by spikes, taking light damage.

"Lucario, Bullet Punch!" The second time he tries this, Eve, again, manages to take the damage while still remaining up. And again, she uses a Full Restore.

"Eve, Attract!" And again, she gets his Aura Pokemon infatuated and almost unable to attack, again forcing him to switch out to another Pokemon.

Through this, she manages to knock out his Espeon and Emboar with Moonblast whenever he's forced to switch out. In addition, his Mega Lucario keeps taking damage from Spikes each time it's sent out. However, despite her repeated setups, Nate's Lucario manages to score a lucky Bullet Punch despite being under the effects of infatuation. This hit finally knocks out the Intertwining Pokemon, despite the latter's attempts to tank the shot and stay up.

***Nate defeated Pokemon Trainer Yancy!***

"Well, I guess I can't defeat the former Unova League Champion…ahahaha..."

***Nate got P15,000 for winning***

"Impressive." Mr. Ruri says. "I must say, that battle was spectacular. No one in our family has so far been able to best my daughter".

"T-thanks…" The young man replies. "I'll admit though, your daughter giving me that last-minute setback just when I thought I had her was a really good wake-up call."

"I..I wouldn't say that…" The young lady blushes. "I honestly knew I wouldn't stand a chance against you in the long run, so I just did my best…"

"Actually, you actually gave me quite the nasty shock back there." He admits. "It was a miracle that my Lucario even managed to attack your Sylveon that time."

"Hahaha." Mrs. Ruri suddenly laughs. "Honestly, you two did real well."

"Now then…" Mr. Ruri addresses the young couple. "Let me get straight to the point. Nate, you have my blessing."

"T-thank you, Jack…" He replies while bowing in gratitude. "I promise to take care of your daughter. You have my word."

"That's good to hear. Again, I trust you enough that you'll keep it."

Suddenly, Yancy, remembering the paper Elesa gave her, speaks up.

"D-dad…"

"Yes, dear?"

"I...just got this earlier today...I think you should see it..." She then hands her father the recommendation slip. After taking a minute or two of going through the fine text, he speaks up.

"I see...So Elesa chose you to play as the lead role for the next Castelia Comics Cinematic Universe film…" Instead of replying, she nods. "Well, I'm not against it. In fact, this makes me a little happy. But..."

"But?" She asks.

"You'll need to discuss this with your Uncle Zach…"

"Y-yes dad…I'll do it first thing tomorrow…"

"Actually, he'll be here later tonight for dinner." This surprises the young couple, who become speechless for a few seconds before speaking up.

"H-huh!?" Yancy screams.

"Mr. Zachary, here!?" Nate exclaims. "W-why though?"

"He wanted to discuss something to me regarding your music career, Yancy."

"My music career?" She asks worriedly.

"That's all he told me. Like I said, you'll have to talk about this with him." Hearing this, she nods in compliance.

Immediately, they're then interrupted when one of the Ruri family's maids makes her way onto the Veranda.

"I apologize, Sirs and Ma'ams, but could I borrow Ms. Yancy for a while? We don't know how to prepare a certain dish, and only she knows the whole recipe…"

"Is that so? Guess I'll just help the maids and cooks in preparing for dinner then...I'll be seeing you later, Nate." Yancy then heads into the house with the maid, leaving Nate with her parents.

"Now then, Nate." Mr. Ruri addresses the young man. "I expect you to keep your word on that promise. Swear by your heart that, if anything happens to her, I'll pin the blame solely on you."

"*Gulp* Y-yes, sir...I swear I won't let anything bad happen to her."

"Now then." He says while extending his right hand out to him. "Welcome to the Ruri household."

"T-thanks, Jack…" He replies with a degree of nervousness as he shakes the older man's hand.

"Speaking of which." Elizabeth tells both of them. "Would you be willing to stay over for dinner, Nate?"

"I...I couldn't possibly…" He politely tries to refuse. However, thanks to his girlfriends' parents reassuring expressions and genuinely affable offers, he eventually gives in.

"Nonsense. Especially not after we've welcomed you into our family." Mrs. Ruri tells him.

"A-alright…Guess it'd be rude of me to leave so suddenly..." He replies.

...

_**Not long after this, he continues conversing with her parents at the veranda for what seems like an hour, mostly relating to his exploits in Unova before meeting their daughter on that fateful night. Unsurprisingly, both of them are amazed at the number of things their daughter's boyfriend went through.** _

...

"Impressive." Mrs. Ruri says. "That's quite the ordeal you and your friends went through…"

"So, let me get this straight…" Jack asks the young man. "You...helped defeat Team Plasma and almost got frozen to death by the Legendary Pokemon Kyurem while it was under the control of Team Plasma?"

"You could say that's pretty much what happened...In fact, that controlling device is still inside the Giant Chasm as far as I can recall…" Hearing the sincerity of the young man's words, he relents. He then asks Nate another question.

"I see…And you became Champion not long after this?"

"Yes, sir…"

"Tell me...Why exactly did you give up your position as Champion?" This question hits the young man hard. Though, compared to when he narrated the whole incident to Yancy, he's now more confident in retelling his entire experience.

"I gave up…"

"Could we ask why?" Mrs. Ruri says.

"That was the first time I lost a Pokemon Battle…Until that point in my life I've managed to come through each Pokemon battle a winner. I thought I had the world in my grasp. I thought I'd be able to continue being invincible. Then that battle against Red taught me a harsh lesson. There would always be someone better, no matter how hard I tried...After that, the media and so many other people would keep bringing that humiliating defeat up no matter how hard I tried to make up."

"Understandable." Jack replies to him. "I remember going through a similar experience when I was around your age…" Realizing that he's probably said too much to the young man, he immediately switches back to the topic on-hand. "Anyways, now I'm guessing you're planning on getting even with him, considering how you just demonstrated your talents as a Trainer to us?"

"With Red? Of course. I was already considering on applying for the next PWT Champions Tournament again after this…"

"In that case, I can make the arrangement for you."

"That's possible?"

"Clay is one of my business partners, after all. And considering he probably knows you well, he won't refuse my offer."

"I...I don't know what to say...But, t-thanks Mr. Ruri!"

"The pleasure's all mine." He then proceeds to shake hands with the young Pokemon Trainer.

Just as this is happening, the same maid from earlier returns to the veranda.

"Pardon my intrusion, Sirs and Ma'am, but Sir Zachary is here." Just as she finishes saying this, Yancy herself arrives, wearing an apron.

"And I just helped finish preparing the food." She says while wiping sweat off her forehead.

"Well then." Elizabeth says. "I guess it's time we make way to the dining room and see your Zach." They then make their way indoors and proceed to the house's equally fancy dining room.


	17. Test of Fate: Act 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having gained the approval of Yancy's parents, our young couple enjoy a fancy dinner at her house alongside a familiar face. Nate himself also gets another much-needed addition to his lineup. Meanwhile, following the broadcasting of their taped interview from the other day, a few new complications arise...

**Chapter 17: Test of Fate, Act 2**

Upon entering the large dining room, they’re greeted by a familiar face.

“Ahhh, there’s my niece.” Zachary says as Yancy hugs him. However, his attention is soon turned to the young man next to his older brother. “And...Nate? What are you doing here at this time?”

“I asked him to come here and introduce himself to me...” Jack tells his younger brother. “After Yancy here called me this morning to tell me about him, of course.”

“And I invited him over for dinner.” Elizabeth tells her brother-in-law.

“Figures.” He replies. “You two are dating, after all. I’m honestly surprised you weren’t introduced to my older brother earlier...”

“Yeah...hahaha…” The young man laughs awkwardly. Following this, all of them proceed to take seats around the table, and begin enjoying the food prepared by Yancy and the household’s cooks.

“Delicious as always.” Nate says as he takes another bite of food. Everyone else sans Yancy nods in agreement, with her smiling instead.

“That’s our daughter for you.” Elizabeth tells her daughter’s boyfriend. “She’s always had a knack for cooking.”

“Mom…”

“Anyways.” Zach suddenly speaks up after enjoying a bite of food from his own plate. “I’m partly here to discuss about the events that transpired this morning. I think you two know what I mean...” This worries the young couple, as they have yet to tell her parents about the whole incident that resulted in them being forced to come clean with their double lives.

“Earlier events?” Jack asks his younger brother.

“You see, Curtis, I mean Christoph, got the scoop on the young couple here.”

“What kind of scoop, exactly?” However, before Zach can reply to him, Nate speaks up.

“The people there found out we were Lack-Two and Nancy…Long story short a Trainer we battled at the Con was able to deduce her identity, someone near us heard it, and it spread like wildfire....until Christoph heard about it and asked us for an interview...And yes, we had to come clean about everything...” He says while looking down on the table, averting his gaze from the eyes of everyone else. For a moment, an awkward silence ensues, until Jack speaks up.

“Hmmm...”

“...”

“...”

“I...Me and your mom think it was about time you gave up that double life thing of yours…”

“H-huh?” She replies to her father.

“Me and your mother were hoping you’d eventually admit to being Nancy to the press. We’ve been noticing that you trying to hide it from the world has been taking a toll on your health, at least until recently.”

“Until recently?” Nate asks. Immediately, she turns her attention to her boyfriend. “Y-Yancy what are you-?” She then kisses him on the cheek which surprises everyone else present.

“Thank you, Nate…” She tells him with her face flushed in bright red.

“W-what for?”

“For helping me in my time of need…” It’s then that he begins to realize what exactly she means, specifically their moments during their Ferris Wheel rides, as well as their lunch and dinner dates, where they confided their problems to one another in search of advice. He then embraces her in return despite the presence of the other 3 people in the room.

“D-don’t mention it...” He says. “I just went with the flow those times. I should thank you for helping me deal with my own problems back then, too…”

“Awww look at them, Jack.” Elizabeth tells her husband. “Don’t they remind of you of how we were back in the day? Ahahaha…”

“M-Mom!” Her face then turns red out of embarrassment. “Uncle Zachary’s here…”

“Oh, ahahaha! Apologies Zach…” In response, Yancy’s uncle mutters a chuckle on the side.

“(Now I know where she got her looks _and_ her laugh from)...” Yancy, hearing her boyfriend’s mutter, hits him lightly on the arm with her elbow out of even more embarrassment.

“(Ow…)”

“(Sorry…But you’re not helping...)” Hearing this, he tries to change the topic of the conversation.

“S-so you’re not mad at our little incident earlier?”

“No.” Jack replies. “In fact, we’re actually glad about the whole thing, as you know. Sure, there’s the paparazzi, but I think we can handle that with a few more interviews here and there.”

“Anyways…” Zach interrupts. “I really should finish what I came here to talk about...Yancy’s music career.” Already knowing what their daughter plans on doing, her parents stay quiet and listen attentively.

“What about it?” His niece asks.

“Well, there’s nothing wrong about your singing. It’s fine as it is.”

“Then what is it?”

“It’s the fact that you and Nate are dating…” She then realizes exactly why.

“It’s because I’m an idol singer, right? And I’m not supposed to be dating anybody?”

“Correct.” He straight-up tells her.

“I see…” She says with resignation. “If it means that I can’t date Nate because my career…So be it.” This shocks her boyfriend, who takes the meaning of her words the wrong way.

“H-huh? We’re gonna have to break up!?”

“N-no...Not like that. I would never consider that.” She replies to him immediately. “I mean...If I have to retire from being an idol singer, so be it. And uncle, I think you might want to see this.” She then hands her uncle the slip given to her by Elesa. After taking the time to read the fine print, her uncle speaks up.

“Quite interesting. Out of all possible candidates, she scouted you as the most likely. Can’t blame her. You do have the charm that Princess Sylveon has. Well, if this is what you want, I won’t argue against it. But...”

“But?”

“We’ll have to organize a farewell concert for you first, and a final composition. As for when we can announce your casting into the CCCU, we’ll decide on that later.”

“T-thank you…” She then hugs her uncle for a brief moment before letting go. “And don’t worry about that last part. I’ve been considering this one song I’ve been composing myself.” She then pulls out a piece of paper from his pocket, which she promptly hands to him. Upon skimming through it...

“Hmmm. Not bad. Suits you quite well. Just a little bit of polishing and it should be good.” Hearing this, she embraces her uncle once more.

Following this, they continue enjoying the rest of the food prepared for them on the table. At the end of it, they’re served slices of a delicious Belue Berry cheesecake.

“Did you make this?” Nate asks her.

“No, not this time.” She replies as she enjoys her slice. “I did help to make the recipe though.”

“That’s our daughter for you.” Jack says. “I swear, if she felt like it, she’d probably give even Siebold of the Kalos Elite Four a run for his money…”

“Oh, Dad. I could never beat him…” They all then have a good laugh and continue enjoying their cake.

....

**_Several minutes later, at the Ruri mansion’s doorstep…_ **

…

“Well, it’s getting late.” Zachary says. “If you’re wondering when Christoph’s interview with you two in it is coming out, it’s tomorrow morning at 10AM on the Celebrity Channel. Anyways, I’ll be holding onto this casting slip and your song’s draft for now so that I can get the paperwork for them done. I’ll contact you via Xtransceiver tomorrow to update you.”

“T-thanks uncle. For everything, I mean...” His niece says. She then embraces him once more and kisses his cheek.

“No need to thank me. I’m just doing it since it’s what you want. Well, then, I’ll be seeing you two soon.” He then waves goodbye, and heads for his car waiting at the driveway outside.

“Darn.” Nate says as he checks his Xtransceiver. “It’s getting late. Maybe I should head back home and…” Before he can finish, Yancy’s dad speaks up at the young man.

“Nonsense. I think you should stay the night here.”

“I concur.” Elizabeth tells her husband. “We’ve already welcomed you here, so don’t try to hesitate. You can stay here whenever you need to.” As with earlier, he knows that there’s no way to refuse their offer, so he gives in. After all, at this point, he would come off as an ingrate.

“I guess I’ll have to accept your offer…”

“That’s the spirit.”

Yancy then speaks up. “Mom, Dad, is it okay if I showed him the way to the guest bedrooms?”

“Of course, dear.”

“Well then, I guess it’s good night, Mr. and Mrs. Ruri. And thanks again…” He then leaves with their daughter as they venture upstairs and into the hallway.

...

“Ahahaha...Do you think something’s going to happen between them?” Elizabeth asks her husband.

“Seeing their behavior right now, my guess is that they already did _something_ the other night…” He replies. “Can’t blame them, though, since they’re at that age…Not unlike the two of us back then, hehe.”

“Oh, Jack…” She says while embracing him. “They really are meant for one another…just like us.” Immediately after saying this, both of them have a good laugh.

“Those were the days…” He says. Not long after this, a maid approaches them.

“Sir.” The maid tells him. “I found this on one of the dining room chairs just now.” She then shows her masters the object in question: a white and blue satchel.

“That must be Nate’s.” He tells the maid. “Could you please hand it over to him for me? Yancy said she’d show him to one of the guest rooms on the second floor.”

“Understood sir.”

…

“(Why do I have this feeling that we’re being talked about just now?)” Nate mutters.

“Something wrong, Nate?” Yancy asks him.

“Uhhh...I don’t know...I just have this weird gut feeling that we’re being talked about…”

“Ahahaha...That shouldn’t come as a surprise at this point. The media are practically going to be all over us by tomorrow…”

“No, I mean, it’s more like...I think your parents know about a certain something we did…”

“What? Nonsense. I would never tell them about what happened last night.”

“Maybe...I’m just sure that maybe, just maybe, they somehow got wind about it…”

“Ahahaha...Doubt it. Besides, if they found out, they’d probably have scolded and killed us for it.” It’s clear from her expression however that even she doubts this to be the case, and for a second does worry. However, she soon dismisses this idea.

“Y-yeah...Maybe you’re right.” Just as he finishes saying this, both of them pass by two rooms marked “Ricky” and “Cindy”.

“Are these your stepbrother’s and stepsister’s rooms?” He asks as soon as he stops walking. She promptly also stops in her tracks and gives a definite reply.

“Yup. Richard and Cindy Ruri.”

“So, about your adopted siblings... What’s the story behind them?”

“Why do you ask?”

“N-nothing really. I’m just kind of curious about what you and your father said earlier. Until now, I thought they were blood-related whenever you talked about them.”

“Ahahaha...Again, you’re not the first person to admit that. A lot of my dad’s business associates were quite shocked to see that they looked nothing like me or my parents…”

“Haha. So, uh, what’s the story behind them?”

“Hm?”

“Not to sound rude, but...Why did your parents choose to adopt them?”

“Hmmm...I honestly don’t know the full story myself.”

“Why’s that?”

“My parents just promptly introduced me to them when I came back from Hoenn with Uncle Zach. They told me they were orphans from Kalos that they adopted, and that they were the children of close friends of theirs that died in an accident. Of course, back then I was full of mixed feelings... I did kind of want siblings since I grew up an only child, but at the same time I felt like more responsibilities were being weighed down on me. That, coupled with my double life as Nancy, took a toll on me…” For a while, she quietly takes a sigh of relief, before turning her eyes to him. “If it weren’t for that fateful meeting in Nimbasa City on that day, Nate, my health would probably have gotten worse somewhere down the line...”

“I see now...Again, I’m glad I could help you in your hardest of times…” He then embraces her, with her smiling back at him. “Oh yeah...That explains the birth control pills for medical reasons thing from earlier, right?” Hearing his words, her face becomes flushed in red.

“Y-yeah...You could say that…I-I don’t want to talk about it so much...”

“Haha...Sorry. I just can’t help but remember you bringing it up to me and Rosa earlier…”

“Just don’t, please…”

“Hahaha...Don’t worry, I won’t.” Following this, they continue to walk further down the hall, until they reach a door marked “Yancy”.

“So this is your room…”

“Yup. I only stay here on weekends. My condo unit is only for when I have work to do for the Celebrity Channel.”

“Makes sense. I was kind of wondering why there wasn’t a lot of stuff in there…” However, as soon as he says this, he makes a realization. “Wait, didn’t you say you’d bring me to a guest room or something?”

“I lied, ahahaha...Though there _is_ a guest room just further down the hallway, if you want…” Knowing what she means based on her smirk, he then asks her another question.

“Won’t your parents be suspicious if they found us sleeping together in the same room?”

“Don’t worry. They won’t find out. They’ve never bothered going to my room that much anyway.”

“You sure? I just have this bad feeling that they, the butler, or one of the maids is going to check on us when we least expect it…”

“Ahahaha, don’t worry. They always knock before going in.” She then produces a key from her bag, inserts it into the lock, and promptly opens the door, turning the lights on just before both of them head in. “And this key ensures that they won’t just waltz in…”

“Woah!” Nate says. “There’s loads of Pokemon dolls everywhere…” Everywhere he looks, there’s a stuffed toy of various Pokemon, though upon closer inspection, he notices that they’re mostly Fairy-types.

“You’re really that into Fairy-types, huh?”

“Yup. I’ve been fascinated with them even when I was little, mainly from reading the fairy tales of old.”

“I see. Not unlike how I read a ton of superhero comics back when I was little. But, I think you knew that already when you saw all the action figures and comics in my room, right?”

“N-not really.” She replies, her face again flushed in red. “I-I was too focused on “other things” when I was in there…”

“Haha... Yeah, you probably wouldn’t have noticed, given the circumstances that time...”

Not long after this, Yancy removes her hat and shoes, places the former on a nearby desk, leaves the latter pair near the doorway, and finally jumps down onto her bed, complete with a relaxed and tired expression on her face.

“Haaaaahhh…” She sighs in relief. “I’ve missed this bed…” She then snuggles a Marill doll next to her with her eyes closed. Nate then follows suit by taking off his own shoes and hat, and promptly sits on the bed next to where she’s lying.

“Wow. This is one comfortable bed…” Pretty soon, he finds himself lying next to and embracing her. “Honestly can’t argue anymore...This feels wonderful.”

“Ahahaha...Yup…” She then turns around, letting go of her Pokemon doll in the process, and faces him. As soon as this happens, they both straight into the other’s eyes, and their faces soon begin to flush red once more.

“Nate? Could I make a selfish request?”

“Yeah? Sure.”

“Do you think we could…” Before she can finish her request though...

“Do it again? Hahaha...” Immediately, Yancy’s face gets completely flushed in red.

“W-we just did that last night...N-no...I only wanted to kiss again…” She stutters.

“Haha. Figured as much you’d say that…”

“That wasn’t funny…” She pouts.

“Guessing I should apologize with a kiss?” Hearing this, she smiles.

“Ahahaha, apology accepted… _mmmph_...”

They then continue kissing passionately for a few more minutes, knocking down a few of the Pokemon dolls laid out on the bed in the process, before breaking off, their faces flushed in red and their expressions satisfied.

“I-I know it’s a bit late to say this, but...I think you’re really good at kissing…”

“Hahaha.” Her boyfriend replies. “I’m flattered…And I should say that you’re really good at hugging...”

Just then, a knock rings out from the bedroom door.

“I’ll go check.” He tells her as he gets up from the bed. “Yeah?”

“Sir Nate.” A maid greets him at the entrance to the room. “You left this at the dining table. Mr. Ruri kindly asked me to bring this to you.” She then hands him his bag.

“Oh, thanks…” He replies nervously. “I-I was wondering where I put it…”

“I see you’re enjoying your time with Ms. Yancy, Sir Nate.” Immediately, both of them react awkwardly.

“Uhhh…” Yancy mutters.

“Umm...Y-yeah. You could say that. Anyway, tell Mr. Ruri, I mean, Jack, that I’m grateful for his kindness.”

“I will.” She then bows to him in respect. “And good night, you two.” Upon saying this, she leaves the two of them, with him promptly closing the door.

“Well…that was awkward.” He tells his girlfriend. “I think I regret suggesting what I said earlier. now...”

“Ahahaha, yeah. I’d hate to experience getting caught a second time…” She then checks the time on her Xtransceiver. “A-anyways, it’s getting late…I think we should just call it a night…*Yawn*...”

“Uh, oh yeah, right…*Yawn*...” He replies, having checked his own Xtransceiver. They then proceed to take turns using her room’s bathroom, before changing into their sleepwear and falling asleep next to one another.

“Good night...Nate…” She then moves closer to him and holds his left hand, before falling asleep next to his face.

“Good night, Yancy...” Just before going to sleep himself, he kisses his girlfriend one last time on the forehead.

…

 **_The next morning, at around 10:30 am. After having a hearty breakfast courtesy of Yancy once more, she, Nate, as well as Mr. and Mrs. Ruri, are now sitting in front of the living room TV, having just watched the televised interview featuring the former and Christoph_ **…

…

“Ahahaha. Those were some pretty nice answers you two gave.” Mrs. Ruri tells the young couple seated on the other couch. “I could tell that you two were barely able to keep up.”

“Mom...” Her daughter mutters, her expression hidden under her hat.

“Y-yeah. It was nerve-wracking...” Nate admits. “Didn’t help that a lot of the rumors that have been spreading about us even before this incident turned out to be true.” This gets the attention of Yancy’s mom even more.

“What kind of rumors?” She asks the young man.

“Well...Uh...The kind that assumed that Lack Two and Champion Nate were the same person…”  
“Ahahaha…I’m guessing there were similar rumors about my daughter being Nancy, right?”

“...” Again, Yancy remains silent.

“Not quite. She was quite good in making it less obvious. People were shocked to find out she and Nancy were the same person, to say the least.”

“Is this true?” She asks her daughter. With this, she finally speaks up, albeit in a soft voice.

“*Sigh*...It’s true…” Yancy says. “Every other person that approached me was surprised at how meek I actually was...I was almost getting tired of being told about it…” Just as mother and daughter continue their conversation, Mr. Ruri begins talking to Nate.

“So, Nate. About that thing you wanted...”

“Y-yeah?”

“I managed to get in touch with Clay a few hours back.”

“And? You got me into the Champions tournament?”

“Yup. Wasn’t too hard, considering he’s already acquainted with both of us.”

“T-thanks...So, uh, when is the next Champions tournament?”

“About that. He told me that it’ll take place two months from now. And that this year, they have a couple of new challengers from Kalos and Alola, and a returning one from Unova.” This catches the young trainer’s interest the most, due to the Champions tournament being exactly as it says: only Champions, both current and former, are allowed to participate. Having three new potential opponents in addition to the already formidable Red was worrying. Before he could further contemplate on this, however, Yancy notices her boyfriend’s dilemma.

“(Dad, could I talk with Nate for a bit?)” She asks.

“Oh, sure dear. I just finished telling him what he needed to know.”

“Is something wrong?” She asks her boyfriend.

“Yeah...I think I might need to train some new Pokemon for the Champions Tournament, especially after that battle we had last night.”

“Hmmm...Oh, yeah! I think I might be able to trade you a few good Pokemon I got recently, if that helps.”

“Oh, sure…What do you have?”

“Let’s see…I have this Froakie I got from a Trainer from Kalos the other day. Pretty good IVs, and it has its Hidden Ability.”

“No way? For real?”

“Yup. I can even trade it to you right now. I just need to access my PC boxes.” Just as she tells him this, she then asks her father something. “Dad, could I borrow Nate and your PC for a bit?”

“Sure, dear. Just don’t take too long. You’re going to help with preparing lunch like you said you would.” He then hands his daughter a key. “Also, could you give me back this key once you’re done?”

“I will, dad…”

…

“Wait, so your place even has a PC capable of accessing the Pokémon Storage System?” Nate asks. “Well, considering your father’s job, maybe I shouldn’t be surprised anymore…”

“Ahaha...Speaking of which… It’s just down this hall.” Not long after her reply, they reach a door that reads “Office”.

“Your father’s office...Should have figured as much.” Yancy then uses the key her father have her, before opening the door.

“Well, here it is.”

“Woah. This PC can transfer Pokémon?” Upon closer look, it looks almost exactly like the desktop PC he uses back in his own house, albeit looking evidently more advanced and expensive.

“Yup. He’s spared no expense, like what you’d expect.” Yancy then takes a seat on her dad’s office chair, and begins booting up the PC. After logging into her account, she then begins browsing through the various PC Boxes, eventually finding the Pokemon she’s looking for.

“Here it is. A Timid Protean Froakie.”

“Woah...You weren’t kidding.” He says upon getting a good look at the Bubble Frog Pokémon’s listed stats. “Mind if I went next and used my Storage account? I think I might have something good to trade back to you.”

“Oh, sure. Here.” She then hands over the PC to him. Not long after, he begins logging in to his own Storage account, eventually arriving at the desired PC box.

“I think you’ll like this one.” He shows to her. “I got this one from a trade a while back. It’s a regional variant of Vulpix. It’s not much, but from what I remember this one has a Timid Nature and is pretty decent in terms of stats.”

“It’s perfect…” She replies. “I’ve actually wanted one for a while, especially after finding out that Alolan Ninetales is part Fairy type.”

“Figured you’d say that…”

Both of them then proceed to withdraw their respective Pokemon from their PC boxes. Not long after, they trade the Pokémon with one another.

“Thanks for trading Pokémon with me, again.” She says while embracing him. “Come to think of it, this is the first time we’ve traded Pokémon like this ever since we’ve started dating…”

“Y-yeah...I didn’t realize that myself until you brought it up…”

“Take care of that Froakie for me, okay? And please, put him to good use out there…”

“Of course I will…” He then kisses her on the cheek. “And I expect you’ll take of that Alolan Vulpix in return.”

“Don’t worry...I’ll make sure to evolve her into Alolan Ninetales…ahahaha…” She then kisses him on the cheek in return. Sure enough, one thing begins leading to another, and both of them begin making out inside her dad’s office. Fortunately, remembering the close call they had just the other night, Nate stops.

“I-I don’t think this is the best place for us to keep doing this…”

“S-sorry…” She tells him. “I think I got too carried away there…”

“Haha…Yeah, same...We should probably get back to your parents...” They then hurriedly shut down the PC, lock the door, and finally leave

…

“Oh, there you two are.” Jack tells the young couple. “What took you two so long?”

“N-nothing…” Nate replies in a panic.

“Y-yeah…” Yancy tells her father. “W-we just made sure the PC was turned off properly and the door was locked, ahaha…” While her father seemingly buys this excuse, her mother knows exactly what happened between them. However, instead of telling her husband, she simply smiles at them and makes an assuring gesture to both of them, complete with a wink. Relieved by this, Yancy then hands back the key to her father’s office.

“Oh yeah...Dad, h-here’s the key to your office.”

“Thanks, dear. I think you should probably go help in the kitchen now. They’ve been expecting you since a few minutes ago.”

“O-Oh right. I’ll make my way there now and help them. Excuse me…” She then hurriedly makes her way towards the kitchen, once again leaving her boyfriend with her parents.

“So, Nate.” Yancy’s mother asks the young man. “Would you care to stay for lunch with us?”

“Well, I don’t think I can refuse an offer like that at this point....”

“Excellent answer, ahahaha!”

“(Yup...She really does have her mother’s looks and laugh…)” He mutters to himself.

…

**_An hour later, at the dining room…_ **

…

“That was some really good food back there…” Nate says, having just finished his second plate. “And I’ve already tried your food too many times to count.”

“If only the maids were as good a cook as you, dear.” Yancy’s mom says, before grabbing more food on her own plate.

“Stop it Mom, you’re embarrassing me again…” The young woman replies, her face flushed in red. “I-I only supervised them this time…They did all the cooking this time around...”

Suddenly, a familiar ring is heard from Nate’s Xtransceiver. Immediately, he picks up and finds Rosa on the other end.

“Nate, where are you?” Rosa asks in a panicked voice.

“I’m at the Ruri mansion, why? What’s wrong?”

“I-I got some good news and bad news for you. Which do you want to hear first?”

“Bad news.”

“Well...it’s about your place...” She then moves her Xtransceiver’s camera to show his house, surrounded by dozens of eager fans and journalists at his doorstep. “And they’ve been pestering your mom for several minutes now…”

“W-woah, that’s a lot of people...I was kind of expecting this to happen sooner or later, but not this fast…” Immediately, his face turns pale. In an attempt to look less worried, he asks her about the other thing she brought up. “So, uh, what was the good news?”

“Oh, that. Well, umm…”

“Yeah? What is it?”

“It’s about your dad...He went home immediately after your mom told him about you dating the daughter of the Ruri family…”

“Cripe…” He mutters. “That doesn’t exactly sound like good news to me…”

“Well, I thought you’d be happy to see him again after a long time, so…”

“Not in a situation like this!” By now, the rest of the people at the table have noticed his odd behavior.

“Is something wrong?” Everyone else at the table asks him.

“(I’ll catch you later, Rosa. Could you also tell my parents I’ll be there shortly?)”

“Sure thing…” She then hangs up on her end.

“You look pale…” Yancy says upon getting a good look at her boyfriend’s face.

“Y-yeah…It’s about home…” He then tells them about the situation at hand.

“Oh my…” Elizabeth says with concern. “That’s quite the pickle you’re in…”

Jack then speaks up. “I’m guessing your dad must be in for quite a shock...”

Yancy, who had been quiet for a full minute, suddenly speaks up. “I’m sorry...I think this is my fault…”

“No, it’s not.” He reassures his girlfriend. “I kind of guessed the paparazzi would show up at my doorstep sooner or later...What I’m concerned about here...is my dad.” He then pauses for a bit, before standing up. “I think I’ll take my leave now…” Just before he makes it out of the dining room, Yancy suddenly grabs his left hand.

“Wait, Nate…I’ll come with you.”

“But Yancy…”

“No buts…Just listen to me. I-I’ll introduce myself to your dad. And...I’ll help deal with that crowd…” Short on time, and seeing the point of her statement, he reluctantly agrees. Just before both of them leave, they bid their impromptu farewells to her parents.

…

“You let them go just like that?” Elizabeth tells her husband.

“Yeah, well, what else can I do? When we were their age, we had to solve our problems by ourselves...In fact, I had to go all the way back home to introduce you to father and mother in person and...” Before he can continue, his wife makes a sudden reply.

“Well this time it’s different... We don’t have to be like your parents. And you could at least help your daughter and possibly your future son-in-law regarding those journalists…” With this, he finally gives in to his wife’s demands, and begins dialing in a number on his Xtransceiver.

“Future son-in-law, huh? Never would I think of that coming out of your mouth…”

“Ahahaha, well I had to come up with something to convince you…And that was the first thing I remembered you bringing up in front of him.” Not long after, the caller on the other end picks up.

“Jack? What is it?”

“Sorry to interrupt you, but I need your help with something…”

...


	18. Test of Fate, Act 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following the televised broadcast of their latest interview, our young couple make it back to Aspertia City upon getting a call from Rosa about Nate's dad returning home...as well as a huge crowd apparently interested in getting Nate's autograph.

**Chapter 18: Test of Fate, Act 3**

…

**_A short while later, at Aspertia City...Rather than use her family’s car, they both opt to Fly back to Nate’s hometown. And rather than land at his place, they both decide to land in front of the Pokemon Center, in order not to attract any possible attention._ **

…

“Here we are…” Nate says as he pulls out a Pokeball. “Braviary, return!” Not long after, Yancy touches down with her Togekiss.

“Togekiss, return!”

“Hm?”

“What’s wrong?”

“Didn’t Rosa say there was supposed to be a large crowd and journalists?”

“Yeah, there’s a lot of people still around, but there’s also a large number of police officers too…”

“Let’s go to my place. Looks like something happened just before we arrived.” When they do make it to his place, they immediately come across Rosa waiting for them.

“Nate, you won’t believe what happened earlier.”

“What did?”

“Some guys in business suits and the police made the crowd disperse.”

“What did these “guys in business suits” look like?” Yancy asks her acquaintance, seemingly knowing the identity of these men.

“They...were wearing black business suits with ties and shades. Why?”

“I...think they might be the security detail for Ruri holdings…”

“What?” Nate flat out asks.

“WHAT?” Rosa screams out.

“O-of course my dad’s company would have a security detail, considering his position and everything else…”

“Makes sense…” The two childhood friends mutter. Rosa then asks “But why would they be here of all places? Unless you called them here…”

“No, I didn’t...Me and Nate left my parents’ place immediately and…Wait a minute...She didn’t…did she?”

“Something wrong?”

“I-it’s nothing…But I think I know who might have called them here…Let’s go.” The three of them then make it to Nate’s front door, to find a police officer talking with one of the suited men in question.

“Thank you for the help.” The officer tells the man in the suit. “A lot of the residents were already complaining about the noise those journalists and kids were making.”

“Just doing our job…” Not long after they finish talking, another man in a suit emerges from Nate’s house, along with both of his parents.

“Thank you so much, Attorney.” Nate’s mom tells the man. “If you didn’t come here with that restraining order, who knows how we could have dealt with those people...”

“And to think all this happened just when I wanted to surprise me son…” Mr. Kyouhei says with a disappointed sigh.

“No problem, Mr. and Mrs. Kyouhei. Again, thank Mr. Ruri for everything.” Not long after they finish talking, they spot the familiar faces standing at the doorstep.

“And…just in time! Good afternoon, Miss Yancy and Sir Nate.” The lawyer greets them.

“Atty. Barton? What are you and my dad’s security detail doing here?”

“Well, about that...Your mom pressured your dad into calling me earlier, and told me to issue a restraining order at this address, call the local police there, and to send some bodyguards from the company.”

“(I knew it…)...I-I see...Please tell mom and dad I said thank you...” She then bows to him.

“I’ll make sure to call them as soon as I’m back at company HQ.” The lawyer then turns attention to the young man next to her. “And you must be Nate. You’re one lucky young man, you know that, dating the President’s daughter and all.”

“Yeah, you could say that…” He replies. “And...tell Mr. and Mrs. Ruri I also said thanks.”

“Will do! And don’t worry about being bothered near your home again. I’ve issued a restraining order against any journalists or stalkers trying to get near the place. The police will also take care of any intruders or intrusions that try to pull any of this again. Well then, I’ll be making my way back now.” And with that, he and the other suited men leave, heading to a number of black cars parked at the end of the street. Not long after, his parents finally speak to the young couple standing in front of them.

“Nate? What are you doing here?” His mom says.

“I…I went home after Rosa here told me about what happened. That, and dad here suddenly coming back home...”

“Well, you don’t have to worry about that incident anymore. We were planning on surprising you, but it seems you’ve already found out about my return home...” His dad says just as he directs his attention to the pink-haired girl. “And you must be Yancy, correct?”

“Y-yes sir…” She then bows to him in respect. “I’ve been dating your son for a while now, and…”

“No need to tell me everything here.You can tell me when we’re inside over lunch.”

“Umm, no thanks...W-we just ate at my parents’ place…”

“How about over a cup of coffee then?”

“Uh, sure…”

“How about you, Rosa?” Mrs. Kyouhei tells her. “Care to join us?”

“M-me? I-I’m not sure…I have a few errands I need to do and…”

“Come, don’t be shy. I have some of those cookies you liked as a kid…”

“(Darn her and those cookies…) Uh, s-sure. I can attend to those errands later...” The young woman mutters. Seeing his childhood friend giving in to his mother’s bribe, Nate chuckles briefly, before receiving an elbow strike on his left arm. “(Not funny…)” She whispers to him.

…

 ** _Around two hours later, at the Kyouhei residence’s front door_** …

…

“That was nerve-wracking, ugh....” Nate struggles to say as he tries to compose himself following the tense and long conversation between them and his parents.

...

**_The good news was that Rosa’s news to Nate earlier was partly a false alarm: his father returned back to Unova for two reasons: he got reassigned to a company branch located in Opelucid City, and also to attend the premiere night of Brycen Man vs. The Sneasel Ninja. The bad news, however…_ **

...

“Hahaha…” Rosa laughs while holding back tears. “Out of all the times your dad could have found out about “that little incident” between you two...It just had to be when I was around…Hahahaha!” She then whispers something to him in a smug voice. “(Now I can fairly say we’re even regarding that one time you saw me buck naked on the Xtransceiver, heh…)”

“Haha...very funny...”

“Please don’t remind us…” Yancy replies to her, still being too occupied with. “I had to struggle with my composure the moment Mrs. Kyouhei told him the entire thing. And in detail, too…I think I would have been fine with him getting mad at us, but he just had to be as awkward as your mom...Ahhh...”

“You’re already reminding me just by saying it…L-let’s just keep all of this to us…”

“Sure, fine by me.” Rosa says halfheartedly.

“I really hope you keep your word, Rosa…” The young couple tell her. “Because if this gets found out, we’re gonna make sure you suffer…”

“Okay, okay...I promise I won’t spill anything about this incident.” She says while raising her hand. “What happened here will stay here.”

“You’d better.” Both of them say as they stare intently at her. Not long after this, another familiar face appears.

“Hey!” Hugh shouts to the three of them at the other end of the street. “I heard about what happened on the news, so I flew back from Driftveil City.” With no response from the three, he approaches them, only to notice the intimidating expression of his best friend. “Wait, why are you two staring at my girlfriend with those scary looks on your face?”

“Oh, nothing…” Nate replies to his friend. “Just tying up a few strings…”

Yancy then turns to him. “Hello there, Hugh We just wanted Rosa here to keep her promises.”

“I...see…” Not wanting to find out what angered the two, he immediately switches topics. “So, uh, I heard there was a commotion regarding your place, so I…” Before he can finish, however...

“Well, you’re too late, Hugh.” Nate replies, his expression changing back. “Everything was resolved thanks to Yancy’s dad calling his company’s lawyer, and having him file a restraining order against any would-be trespassers.”

“Aww darn…Guess I wasted my time coming here then.”

“Well, at least you came to see me.” Rosa reassures him as she holds his hand. She then looks at Nate and Yancy, and an idea then comes to her mind. “Say, you two up for a double date with us?” This surprises the newer couple, who were expecting the other couple to part ways with them.

Both of them react awkwardly to her sudden question. “Why though?”, they ask.

“To kill time…”

“I...I don’t know Rosa…Sounds like a terrible idea, especially after what the two of us just went through...” Nate says with a hint of confusion.

Yancy seconds her boyfriend’s statement. “Uhhh...I…I’m not too sure about that either...”

“Oh, come on, you two. It’ll be fun.” Hugh reassures them.

“And I know a place Yancy might like.”

“...”

And so, reluctantly, both of them agree to go on a double date with her and Hugh. She takes them with her on a walk towards Route 19.

“So, where exactly _are_ we heading?” Nate asks his childhood friend.

“You’ll see.” She replies. “There’s this place I know that Yancy here will probably come to like.”

Nate then begins to realize just where she’s taking them. “I think I might have a good idea of where we’re going. Knowing Rosa and all...”

“Where would that be?” Rather than simply telling her, he decides to help build up the suspense.

“You’ll see.”

After around half an hour of walking east, they finally reach Virbank City.

“Virbank City?” Yancy says with disappointment. “I thought there wasn’t anything to see here…”

Nate, finally having a good idea of where “Well, I should apologize for that…I was kind of wrong about what I told you the other day...” Not long after, they finally arrive at the doorstep of their destination: the Virbank Gym.

“The Virbank Gym?” While at first confused as to why Rosa brought them here, the pink-haired girl eventually comes to realize why. “You brought us here because of the music club, right?”

“Yup. I figured you might like it.”

“Well, I did kind of want to try it back when I first did the gym challenge.”

“Then what are you waiting for? Let’s head in!” She then drags her acquaintance with her in, before Yancy can even say anything.

“Well, there they go.” Nate says.

“Might as well follow them in…” Hugh replies. As they make their way down, Hugh brings up the topic of the incident with Rosa earlier, only for his best friend to give him the same death glare from earlier.

“Not in your lifetime…”

“Okay, okay. I’ll quit it…”

...

**_Contrary to the newer couple’s expectations, the date in question goes rather well at first, with only one or two fans of theirs asking for their autographs. Both couples continue hanging around until around early evening, when Rosa and Hugh go their separate ways, leaving our main hero and heroine alone once more..._ **

...

“Well, it’s getting late. We’ll be taking our leave.” Rosa tells her childhood friend just as she and Hugh make their exit. Just before they leave though, Nate makes one more remark to her.

“Rosa, before you go…”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks again for today. Me and Yancy are grateful for helping us again.”

“You’re welcome. Just doing what friends do.” And with that, she leaves with Hugh in tow.

“I think it’s best we take our leave as well.” His girlfriend tells him. But just before they can get up from their seat, a familiar face stops them.

“Hold on...are you THE Nancy!?” When the young couple turn around, they find the Virbank Gym Leader Roxie.

“Y-yeah...I am. But you can just call me Yancy. Is there something you need?”

“You think I could have an autograph from you?”

“Ummm...sure…” The Virbank Gym Leader then hands her a notebook and pen, which the pink-haired girl signs her autograph. “...And here.”

“Thanks! I’m grateful as a fellow celebrity and performer.”

“Hey, what about me?”

“Of course… How could I refuse an autograph from my favorite Superhero movie actor? Here…” She then hands the notebook over to Nate. “To be honest, I’m still kind of shocked that you of all people, the boy who helped deal with Team Plasma not too long ago, the Champion, would be one of my favorite actors... ”

“Hahahaha...I’m kind of flattered.”

“Though I’m still kind of sore about losing to you back during the World Leaders Tournament…” He then hands back the notebook to the Gym Leader.

“Haha, well you did tell me back then that I was a good battler, so I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Not long after their exchange, the two wave goodbye to the Virbank Gym Leader, and make their way to the exit.

“So what are your plans now?” He asks her.

“I...actually have to go to work tomorrow…Uncle said I have a lot of catching up to do back at the studio...”

“Ugh, same here… They’ll be releasing the movie pretty soon, and Mr. Deeoh wants me to continue hyping up the release, so I need to be back at the main office.” He pauses for a moment, briefly contemplating on what to do next, and finally he speaks up.

“Should I take you back to your parents’ place?”

“Ummm, no… I’ll be heading back to my condo this time. But...I’d love it for you to accompany me back there…”

…

**_A few minutes later, at the first floor lobby …_ **

...

“Yancy…Thanks for everything today. I’m grateful for your parents accepting me with open arms, even helping me back there.” After a short pause, apparently thinking of what to say back, Yancy turns back.

“No, Nate...Thank you. I had fun going out with Rosa on that double date, and it was nice to finally meet your dad, despite that awkward first impression of sorts...ahahaha...”

“Hahaha…” After another brief pause between them, Yancy makes sure to tell her boyfriend one more thing.

“Can you...come closer?”

“Yeah?” Just as he does so, she grabs him by the back of his neck and forces her lips onto his.

“...”

“...”

They continue kissing for a few more seconds, before she breaks it off.

“Thanks again...for being my first…” She mutters, her face flushed in pink.

“S-sure…” Not unlike her, his face is also flushed, this time in bright red. “I...I’ll make sure to call you if I’m free. No guarantees, though…”

“Y-yeah...I’ll do the same in case my Uncle allows me to have a break in-between my rehearsals.” She then kisses him one more time on the cheek, before waving goodbye to him as she enters the tower where her condo unit is situated in.

“Guess I’d better head home then…” Nate tells himself. “Need to put this here Mega Glove in my room, and do a lot of catching up with dad…”


	19. Test of Fate: Act 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two weeks have passed since the last chapter, and now Yancy's desires become all the more apparent. Fearing she would lose control of herself, she asks Rosa for help. Meanwhile, Nate, in his preparations for the next PWT Champions Tournament, encounters a familiar face.

**Chapter 19: Test of Fate, Act 4**

**_And so, two weeks pass...While both of them are able to keep their promise of meeting one another whenever both of them are free (outside of interviews together), they are unable to have the same long and drawn-out dates they’ve had before. At best, they are only able to stay with one another long enough just for a single dinner date or ferris wheel ride. To compensate for this, they both call one another constantly. But despite these brief meetings, both are beginning to feel a sense of longing for the other…_ **

…

_“Nate..huhhh....Nate...More...please...Ahhhh…”_

_“Yancy...I think...hah...hah...I’m...at my limit...Hrgh…”_

_“Nate...I think I’m....Ahhhh….HAAAAAHHHHHH…”_

_“Hnngghhh…Yancy! I’m...”_

...

“Wahhh! A dream?” Yancy mutters having just woken up. It is around 3AM when she checks her Xtransceiver. Despite trying to go back to sleep, she feels an incessant, burning urge within herself. Upon checking her pajama bottoms, she immediately takes notice of something unusual…

“(W-wet!?)” She says to herself. When she checks her underwear, her suspicions are confirmed. “(B-but it was just a dream…)” Eventually, out of a combination of curiosity and a growing feeling of lust, she begins taking off her bottoms and underwear, then subsequently begins touching herself at her crotch.

“Haaahhh....haaahhh...Nate...Hnngggh...” As she continues with this, she begins touching herself more intensely, including fingering herself.

“Nate...More, more…” After a few minutes of doing this, she finally climaxes.

“Ahhhh...Haaahhhh....Hnnngghhh...Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh~!”

 _W-what am I doing?_ For a moment, she contemplates this, before coming to a conclusion that scares her. _A-am I… being consumed by my own lust…?_

Not long after, she finally falls asleep. At this point, almost an hour has passed.

…

**_The next day, at the Celebrity Channel Studio…_ **

...

“Yancy, are you alright?” Her uncle Zach asks her. His niece, standing in front of her, has noticeable eye-bags and slightly red eyes, indicating a shortage of sleep.

“I...I’m alright, uncle.” She replies with a smile. Not wanting to deter her in her upcoming final concert as Nancy, he reluctantly drops the subject, assuming his niece knows what she’s doing.

_I...really shouldn’t have done that earlier...Now I can barely make it through the day…Uhhhh..._

Fortunately, she does manage to make it through her work day, albeit having to drink extra cups of coffee just to make it through.

…

**_A few hours later, at Nimbasa City, on the Ferris Wheel…_ **

...

“Are you okay, Yancy?“You sure look more exhausted than usual…” Nate asks her. Again,despite evidence to the contrary, her answer to him as the same one she gave to her uncle earlier.

“I’m fine, Nate. Thanks for asking…I’ve just been rehearsing overtime. That’s all…”

“If you say so…” Just then, she suddenly changes her mind.

“Actually, I’m not…”

This surprises him, as only seconds earlier she had seemed to be fine outside of her tired look.

“Don’t tell me you’re sick?”

“No, I’m not sick. But…”

“But?”

“...I just couldn’t get enough sleep earlier...”

“I see…” He says while enjoying the view. “Guess you’re pretty nervous about your farewell concert, right?”

“Ahahaha, yeah...You could say that…”

“Well, to be honest, I’m probably just as nervous about how _Brycen Man vs the Sneasel Ninja_ will perform for both critics and audiences…”

“I think it’ll surpass expectations considering your prior performances…”

“Yeah, maybe you’re right…”

And with that, their ferris wheel date ends without incident, nor her telling her the exact reasons for her lack of sleep earlier.

“Call me again when you’re free, alright?” She asks him.

“Of course I will. I’ll try to see if I can get a good break in-between all the press conferences and interviews.”

“I’ll do the same…”

“Well then, see you.” He then kisses her on the cheek, and makes his way back to Aspertia City.

 _Darn it, Yancy...You could have just told him and it would have been done…_ Not knowing what else to do, she grabs her Xtransceiver and makes a call.

“Yancy?” Rosa asks after picking up. “What’s up?”

“Ummm, Rosa...Could we meet somewhere now? There’s something I need to tell you about. In person…”

“Oh, sure.” Just before she hangs up, she takes note of her friend’s appearance. “Darn, you sure look like you didn’t sleep well today.”

“I...didn’t…Look, can we just talk about this in private later?”

“Alright, if you say so...Meet me at the Virbank Gym.” Both of them then hang up.

_I hope she doesn’t make a fuss over this..._

…

**_A few minutes later…_ **

...

“Yancy! Over here.” Rosa screams while waving. Immediately, our heroine makes way to the table where she’s seated.

Just before she gets the chance to sit down, Rosa immediately take notice of her friend’s face. “Yancy...Woah. You really do look more tired than usual...What happened?” Not long after, the pink-haired girl takes a seat, immediately taking a sip from a glass of water Rosa hands to her.

“That’s why I’m here, Rosa...” She replies as she catches her breath. “I...can’t exactly tell this to Nate without probably freaking him out...”

“So, what is it?” Rather than tell her out loud, she moves closer to her, and then begins whispering.

“(I couldn’t get decent sleep last night…)”

“Well, we all do at some point, considering our jobs.”

“Let me finish my story…” She says out loud, before resuming to her whispering. “(I couldn’t sleep because I kept thinking of Nate..)”

“Hahaha. Well there are times I can’t sleep because of Hugh, too. Especially on business trips...” She then takes a sip of her mocktail, before coming up with a half-serious question. “Wait, don’t tell me. You had an erotic dream or something and then touched yourself?”

“H-how did you-ah!”

Rosa, surprised at her friend’s answer, almost ends up spitting her drink out of her mouth, before replying following an awkward pause. “Wait!? No way...You didn’t?”

Realizing she just might have said too much, she nods reluctantly, her face flushed in pink. For a minute, Rosa just stares awkwardly at her friend, before suddenly breaking out into laughter.

“Rosa. This is serious…”

“Sorry. I just didn’t think you’d be the type to do that.” She then pauses again, before continuing the conversation. “Then again, you’ve had your first time with Nate recently, so that probably helps.”

“W-what are you trying to say?”

“I’m saying your sexuality has already awakened…” Hearing this, Yancy’s face gets flushed in red once more.

“S-should I be worried!?”

“Hahaha, no.” Rosa says reassuringly. “It’s natural for you to have those desires and let them out.”

“R-really? To be honest, I-I was kind of scared when I lost control of myself…”

“Knowing you? That’s not too surprising, hahaha. But really, don’t hold yourself back if you ever think of touching yourself or doing it with Nate. Trying to suppress or hide your desire at this point is nothing but trouble. You’ll just end up wanting it more. My advice? Try talking with him about it. I’m pretty sure he’s probably ”

“T-thanks Rosa.” Not long after this, she begins standing up, but just before she can leave the gym, her friend stops her.

“Wait, since you’re here, why don’t you stay for a while longer? I’ll even order a drink for you.”

“Well...Sure. I’m not in any real hurry or anything…”

“Great! Lemme just talk to the bartender.” She then makes her way to said bartender, and promptly makes a drink order. Not long after, she returns, two mocktails in hand.

“So, uhh…Could I ask you a favor? In exchange for the drink, I mean?”

“Yeah, what is it?”

“D-do you think I could, ummm…”

“Hm?” This time, however, it’s Rosa who approaches her and whispers into her ear.

“(...Ask about what happened the night you and Nate did it?)” For what seems like a minute, the pink-haired girl just stares at her with an expression that screams “What, really now?”, before finally replying.

“...You promise you won’t tell Hugh, or for that matter, anyone else that isn’t me or Nate??” She asks with a half-serious expression.

With a sense of reassurance, she replies with “Of course. You have my word for it.”

“Alright then. Just make sure you keep your promise. Because if you don’t…” Just as she is saying this, her tone of voice switches from her usual sweetness to a monotone “...I’m going to make sure you suffer…”

“Alright, alright. I promise...And you can count that I won’t, not after you and Nate threatened me a few weeks back.”

“I trust you then.”

…

“...And that’s what happened just before I fell asleep.” Yancy says as she finishes her detailed account.

“I see…” Rosa replies just as she takes another sip of her drink. “That’s actually...a pretty wholesome experience…I mean, compared to when I first did it with Hugh...hehe...”

“H-how did that go?” She asks with a hint of curiosity.

“Well...You could say it was pretty the opposite of your case...” After taking a pause to take a sip, she then resumes. “Hugh wanted to compete in the PWT this one time. So, we decided on staying in a nearby hotel one night in order to save money and time. And we just...did it, then and there. And by that, I mean I got on top of him. We didn’t even have time to strip…”

“Ahahaha, that does sound like something you’d do…”  
“Anyways, I think I should save that one for another time.” Rosa tells her just as she checks the time on her Xtransceiver. “It’s getting kind of late.” Yancy then checks her own Xtransceiver, which confirms what her friend had just said.

“Oh, dear...3 hours? I really need to go home and get some sleep...”

“Considering the tired look in your eyes? You’ll need it.” Both of them promptly stand up and head towards the exit. As they make their way to the gym entrance, Rosa asks Yancy one more question.

“By the way…”

“Yeah?”

“About you being on the pill…”

“What about?”

“Was it really for medical reasons like you told me before and earlier, or did you know you were going to do it with Nate?”

“Medical reasons...I...I’ve been suffering from...well, that “time of the month” related issues. My doctor prescribed them to me.”

“Well, to be honest with you, I took them originally for the same reason as you. Stress-related stuff...”

“Ahahaha. That’s not surprising given our lines of work.”

“Yeah, well you could say that…” With that, they finally make it to ground level. “Well, I guess this is where we see each other off. Take care of yourself, and get some shuteye.”

“I will. And thanks again…”

“Don’t mention it. If you need any more advice about love and relationships, just ask me.” She then pulls out a Poké Ball , sends out her Mandibuzz, and flies in the direction of Southwest. Not long after, Yancy sends out her Togekiss and promptly flies Northeast towards Castelia City. After landing near the city’s Pokemon Center, she immediately makes her way back to her condo. Upon making it inside, she immediately prepares for bed, exhaustion by now having already overcome her.

“Darn.” She says after checking the time on her Xtransceiver again. “It’s real late…I should get some rest...I hope...I can make it to work tomorrow...” In her rush to get to bed, and without thinking, she takes a quick shower.

…

**_The next day…_ **

…

“Nate...Sorry.” A bedridden Yancy tells her boyfriend. “I don’t think I can go on a date with you today...I’m...trying to recover from this cold as you can see…*Cough*...Sorry if I said I was fine yesterday...”

“...I see. Well, there’s no need to apologize. Just get well soon...” Nate tells Yancy while on the Xtransceiver. “In that case, I’ll make it a point to come by your place later in the afternoon to take care of you.”

“T-thanks Nate....” the bedridden girl on the other end tells him. “Take care..*Cough*...” She then promptly hangs up.

“Now then, time to meet with N so I can train for the upcoming Champions Tournament.” He tells to himself as he makes his way through Unova’s Victory Road. Upon making it to the ruins of N’s Castle, he begins making his way to the old throne room. When he makes it to that area of the castle, however, instead of the former Team Plasma King, he’s greeted by a different person entirely.

“Hello, Nate.” Black tells him. “How’s it been?”

“B-Black? But how? Where’s N?”

“Let’s just say he’s not gonna be meeting you for now...He’s currently traveling another region with someone…”

“Who would that be?” Hearing this question, the former Unova League Champion loses his cool, and begins replying in a reluctant and more subdued manner.

“I’d...rather not bring up the details, but I will say that she’s someone important in my life…”

“S-sorry. I didn’t mean to…”

“No, it’s fine. Anyways, I think I was going a little too off-topic here.” He then regains his lost confidence, and promptly extends his hand out to the young man in front of him. “I know it’s a little late for introductions and all, but I’m Hilbert Touya, or as my friends and most people know me, Black.” In response, Nate extends his own hand out, and they promptly handshake as a gesture of respect to one another.

“It’s Nate Kyouhei. And it’s nice to finally talk to you without anyone else bothering us.”

“Likewise. Now then, let me get down to business here.”

“Which is?”

“Would you mind having a battle with me here right now?”


	20. The Fated Finale, Act 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Pokémon battle between two (former) Unova Champions ensues, as well as the interesting tale of a hero of another story is revealed...

**Chapter 20: The Fated Finale, Act 1**

“Did you just say...you wanted to have a battle?” Nate asks older Pokemon Trainer standing in front of him.

“I did.” He replies. “Just you, me, and our Pokemon. Here, and now. Is there a problem?”

“N-no. None at all. In fact, heh...I’m kind of excited to fight a living legend.”

“That’s good. Now then, let’s get down to business, shall we?”

“Of course!”

“But before that…”

“Hm?”

“For this battle, I’ll only be sending out one Pokemon for this fight, if that’s fine by you.”

“No problems there. In return, I’ll also use only one.”

“You’re on.”

***Nate is challenged by Pokémon Trainer Black!***

***Pokémon Trainer Black sent out Zekrom!***

“WHAT THE!? N-no way!”

“Heh, surprised? Remember, not only was I the Champion of Unova before you and Iris, I’m also the holder of one of the Legendary Dragons of Unova.”

“Cripe, I forgot about that one!”

“What it’s gonna be, Nate? Give up, or are you gonna send out a Pokemon soon?” Recovering from his initial shock, and without a single word, the younger Pokemon Trainer produces a Poke ball.

“Go, Garchomp!”

“Now that’s more like it!” Black says to his opponent. “Give me a good battle, Nate! Go all out!”

Thanks in part to his Pokemon’s higher level and consequently speed, the Mach Pokemon goes first.

“Garchomp, use Earthquake!” Unsurprisingly, the move is a Super Effective hit, and takes out most of the Deep Black Pokemon’s HP.

“Not bad. But now I’m gonna show you just how powerful Zekrom is. Zekrom, use Dragon Pulse!” Again, another Super Effective attack, and while it does take out a huge chunk of the Mach Pokemon’s HP, the damage is not as serious, thanks in part to the aforementioned higher level.

“Darn! That Pokémon hits hard! Shouldn’t expect less from a Legendary...” Not long after, both Trainers heal their Pokémon with Full Restores, before once again ordering their Pokémon to attack one another.

“Garchomp! Earthquake!”

“Zekrom, use Dragon Pulse!”

This vicious cycle continues for at least 3 more turns, before Nate’s Garchomp finally manages to land a critical hit.

“Yes, finally!”

***The foe’s Zekrom fainted!***

***Nate defeated Pokémon Trainer Black!***

“Not bad, Nate. Not bad. If I had gone all out, I think I probably would have had a better chance back there.”

 ***Nate got P15,000 for winning.*** Not long after getting his prize money, Nate notices something about the other Pokémon Trainer.

“Hey, you alright?” He asks him. “You were kind of spacing out after the battle.”

“Y-yeah. You just caught me off-guard back there.” He replies. After a few seconds, however, he changes his mind, and suddenly confesses to something he’d been hiding. “Actually, no...I’m not alright.”

“What do you mean?”

“I went here to challenge you so I could get this thing off my head…”

“‘This thing’? Wait, is this about what you told me earlier?” While initially surprised at his accurate deduction, he eventually admits.

“Yeah…As much as I’ve tried, I can’t seem to move on about it…At least, not completely.”

“Let me guess, she rejected you and fell for someone else?”

“You catch on quick...”

“Well, it helps that I had a similar experience back when I began as a Trainer…My childhood friend admitted to having dated my best friend not long after I got my fourth Gym badge...” Nate admits to him. “We’re still friends, sure. But recalling that experience nowadays is traumatizing…”

“Haha. Well, guess that makes us not so different from one another. In my case, well, my childhood friend dumped me...for a certain someone.”

“N...”

“Yup, just like what I said earlier. And I found out about this not long after he left Unova the first time around, just after I became Champion.”

“How did that go? And don’t worry about me getting bored. I can listen.”

…

**_Three years earlier, at Marvelous Bridge…_ **

…

“White?”

“Black?” The brown-haired girl in a white tank top and shorts asks him. “What are you doing here?”

“I...actually went here to meet you.”

“M-me? Why?”

“There’s...something I need to tell you. Something...I’ve been holding back on ever since you, me, Cheren, and Bianca became Trainers all those months ago.” 

“If you’re going to tell me that you love me, forget it.”

“W-what? How did you know?”

“I...I’ve been hiding something myself. Do you...remember that time in Nimbasa City?”

“You mean...the Ferris Wheel? That’s when?”

“Yes...That was the moment I fell for him. I’ve been thinking about him I’m sorry Black…”

…

“I don’t remember much after that…I do remember just...standing there in shock for a few minutes.”

“What did tell you and do after that?”

“She told me she’d be leaving Unova in an attempt to look for N.”

“Did she succeed?”

“Yup. She was able to meet him in a faraway region. They got together and they ended up travelling together.”

“How did you find that out?”

“Well, I came across them in person when I decided to travel to different regions in order to become stronger. This was after I decided that I didn’t want to Unova’s Champion anymore. And if you’re wondering about that. Well, I resigned after a combination of boredom and that aforementioned incident. This was around a year after I won the League.”

“Guess that makes us even more similar…I resigned after suffering a humiliating defeat at the hands of Red.”

“Ah yes, Red. That guy’s no pushover that’s for sure. When I was in Alola for a while I met him, and my team got totalled...” 

“Haha. Guess you could say we learned that the hard way…”

“Speaking of which. I’m entering the PWT Champions Tournament myself.”

“You too, huh? I’m guessing this was one of your reasons for coming back to Unova? Aside from being cast as part of the Castelia Comics Cinematic Universe, I mean?”

“Yup.”

“Speaking of which, why didn’t you come back to Unova when that new Team Plasma emerged? Me and my friends could have used your help back then...”

“About that…It’s a long, long story...”

…

**_1 year earlier, somewhere between Kanto and Johto…_ **

…

“Black?” A familiar voice calls out to him.

“White?” The young man says as he turns around. “What are you doing here, and how did you manage to make it up all the way to Mt. Silver?”

“I got special permission from the Kanto Pokemon League. And it’s about Unova, Black.” 

“What about Unova? I thought I left the place in good hands when I resigned as Champion...”

“It’s Team Plasma. They’ve apparently come back with a vengeance. And...there’s rumors that someone took Ghetsis’ place as leader, and now they’re outright trying to take over the entire region by force. I don’t think the new Champion can handle this mess...”

“Shouldn’t N be able to take care of his rogue followers? Why me?”

“That’s why I’m here, Black...I think you should be the one to convince him to go to Unova. I know you want to stay here and become a stronger Trainer, but the least you can do is talk to him...as a friend.” After a few minutes of no replies and total silence on top of Mt. Silver’s peak, Black finally turns back to her.

“Alright. I’ll talk to him. In person.”

“Thanks.”

“Just remember that I’m still not over that incident…And I can’t make a promise of going back to Unova. I feel like people are going to hate me for abandoning them in their ”

…

“I did manage to find N thanks to the help of the International Police and the Pokemon League. In Unova of all places, and in a place with so many memories...Dragonspiral Tower.”

“So you _were_ in Unova that whole time! Darn, now we really could have used the help back then…” Nate says with hints of shock and disappointment.

“Say what you will...You guys did defeat Team Plasma and win in the end, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, but I almost got impaled to death with ice from a Legendary Dragon Pokemon…”

“Now, let me finish my story…There’s a good reason you didn’t see me at the Giant Chasm...”

…

“So, Black.” N says upon seeing the Pokemon Trainers face. “It’s been two years.”

“Hello...N.” He replies with a hint of resent.

“If you’re still bitter about your childhood friend being with me, that’s perfectly fine. But, I know why you’re here. White sent you, am I right?”

“Well, you’re not wrong there. She asked me to come and look for you. Now then...”

“No need to tell me. I know about this New Team Plasma and what they’re trying to accomplish across Unova…”

“Then why did White tell me to meet you?”

“That’s the thing, Black. It’s I who needs you help.”

“Why me?”

“Because, you’re the one currently in possession of the other Legendary Dragon. My gut feeling tells me that there’s more to what this new Team Plasma is doing. That’s why I’d like you to provide backup for me...” Instead of a solid reply, however, Black maintains an awkward silence.

“...”

“I see...So you’re still conflicted about all this. I really do apologize for asking for your help.”

“It’s fine…” He replies as he regains his composure. “Normally, I’d think you’d be able to handle those guys yourself, you being their former King and all. What gives? Why 

“I believe that Ghetsis is leading this new Team Plasma, and that he’s the one pulling the strings here.”

“Okay, now you’ve gotten my attention. That guy just doesn’t know when to quit.”

“So you’ll help?”

“Definitely. I’ve kicked the guy’s ass before. What’s to say I can’t do it again?” While amused by his companion’s words, the former Team Plasma leader clarifies a few things.

“I’ll handle Ghetsis myself.”

“What? Then what do you want me to do?”

“Like I said, I need you to provide me backup.”

“Against what?” However, just as Black says this, he immediately remembers a detail the International Police had told him about prior. “Wait, is this related to the three Sages who managed to escape custody recently?”

“Yes. I believe Zinzolin and the Shadow Triad broke them out of prison. And I believe they might be trying something, possibly a diversionary trick.”

“And I’m guessing we’re going to split up, you dealing with Ghetsis and me dealing with those 3 Sages?” N in response nods. “In that case, where do you need me?”

“They’ll be at the Abundant Shrine. My guess is that they’re planning something relating to the Legendary Pokemon there.”

“Of course they would. What better way to stir chaos in Unova by unleashing Tornadus and Thundurus? Seeing what those Pokemon can do firsthand, I think I’ll definitely go and meet them...”

“Thank you, Black. I wish you good luck in stopping their plan…” 

…

“Of course, it really was a diversion. Their intent had always been to lure either me or N away from the Giant Chasm. That way, Ghetsis could focus on splicing one of the Legendary Dragons without interference from the other.”

“Were there a ton of Grunts waiting for you?”

“Of course. Them, and those 3 unaccounted Sages at the Shrine itself. What I didn’t expect was that those 3 madmen actually did it. They captured the 3 Forces of Nature, courtesy of some stolen Master Balls. They definitely took the time and effort to chase Tornadus and Thundurus around Unova, capture them, and then use them as bait to lure out Landorus. Thankfully, they weren’t exactly good at handling them in an actual Pokémon Battle. I totalled them even without using Zekrom.”

“So, what happened to Tornadus, Thundurus, and Landorus?”

“I freed them from Team Plasma of course when it was over, then I captured them a while later by myself. Took me a while to find the first two...I just repeated the process Team Plasma did, really.”

“What happened after that?”

“I didn’t stick around the Abundant Shrine for long, since they admitted their diversion plan and what Ghetsis had planned. I immediately rushed over to the Giant Chasm where N was...only to find that you stopped Team Plasma’s plan by then. Kyurem was long gone, and N told me about your exploits.”

“That explains why I never saw you at the Chasm...So, you got proof that you do, in fact, have the Forces of Nature?”

“I guess I really do need to show you solid proof.” And with that, he gets his backpack and pulls a mysterious object out. “So, behold.”

“Woah…” Nate says in awe at the dazzling object in front of him. “Is this...the Reveal Glass?”

“Yup.” Black replies as he holds the mirror. “Those Sages gave it to me once they knew the jig was up.” Not long after, he also shows him his Pokédex. “And these are my Dex entries on them. See, full entries.”

“Oh, cripe…” Nate mutters as he checks the time on his Xtransceiver. 

“Something wrong?”

“I need to get going…It’s about my girlfriend...”

“Before you go, I think I need to tell you something.”

“Hm?”

“Part of the reason I challenged you? I was jealous…”

“Of me defeating Team Plasma instead of you?”

“No, I mean you and Yancy…” For a few seconds, Nate looks at Black in utter disbelief, before suddenly bursting out in laughter.

“Hahahahaha...You mean...You challenged me partly because you were jealous of me and Yancy dating back at the Castelia Comic Con?”

“Y-yeah...I did...Not the best decision I’ve made on impulse.”

“Well, I don’t know what else to say to that...See you at the PWT then.”

“You too…Gonna look forward to battling you again and working with you on set.” And with that, both Trainers part ways with one another.

“Right then…” Nate mutters to himself as he makes his way out of the castle. “Got to Fly to Castelia City and make sure Yancy’s fine...First I have to stop by this place to get food for us and then…”

“Well, I guess what’s done is done…” Black tells himself. “Really gonna look forward to a full Pokemon Battle with you, Nate…” Just then, he produces a familiar looking bracelet from his pocket, and then proceeds to place an equally familiar crystal into it...


	21. The Fated Finale, Act 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yancy has fallen ill thanks to her actions the previous day, while two familiar faces visit her place alongside Nate...

**Chapter 21: The Fated Finale, Act 2**

"Whew." Nate says after landing in Castelia City. "What a morning that was. Braviary, return!" Not long after, he hurriedly makes his way to her place, but not before stopping at a nearby drug store and café to pick up medicine and food, respectively. "Now that that's out of the way, time to pay her a visit like I said I would…"

Just as he makes his way up to her condo unit, a familiar Pokémon blocks his way.

"Eve? What are you doing here?" Recognizing Nate's face, Yancy's Sylveon immediately hands him over a key from under the welcome mat she's standing on. "A key? Oh, this is a key for the door right?" In response, the Intertwining Pokémon simply nods. And with that, he inserts the key into the lock before stepping in, but not before announcing his arrival. "Yancy? I'm here like I said I'd be."

"Oh, Nate…Come on in, ahahaha..." The bedridden young woman says with a weaker voice than usual. Immediately, he makes his way to her bedroom, accompanied by her ever-vigilant Pokémon. Upon getting a sight of her on her bed, he immediately takes note of her appearance. Her Sylveon meanwhile hops onto the bed next to her Trainer, cuddling into her arms.

"Man, you look horrible…" He then grabs a nearby chair as he sits next to her. "And here, I got you some food and medicine on my way here."

"T-thanks... And yeah, I know...I shouldn't have taken a shower after arriving home late the other night…"

"Well, there's nothing we can do anymore, so I might as well help you get better faster. You do have that farewell concert soon, after all…"

"Y-yeah, I do..."

"Speaking of which...What made you come home late the other night? I remember parting ways with you at around 9PM."

"I...needed to see Rosa and discuss something important with her…"

"What was it about?"

"Why I've been restless since yesterday…"

"I see. What was it about?"

"I'd...rather not talk about it right now…" She says, hiding her face out of embarrassment. Eventually, however, she relents upon remembering what Rosa had told her the night before. "Actually, I think I should tell you about the other day…"

"What is it?"

"W-will you promise not to laugh at me or hate me?"

"Why would I hate you? You're my girlfriend, and I love you more than anyone right now." Feeling reassured, she finally confesses her "dark" secret to him.

"I've been restless because...I've...masturbated…" This shocks him as well as the Pokémon sleeping in her arms, the latter of whom even wakes up and then hides under her bed.

"Uhhh...Could you...repeat that for me, please?"

"I couldn't sleep the other night because I…touched myself after having an erotic dream...of us making love that one night…" Instead of a reply, an awkward silence ensues for what seems like another eternity. "I'm sorry Nate…I shouldn't have hidden this from you yesterday..."

"What's there to be sorry about?"

"Huh?"

"To be honest...I've also wanted to talk about this with you ever since we were at your parents' place."

"Was this when one of our maids barged in when we were on the bed?"

"You could say that. I was kind of frustrated at the time. I was hoping I could, you know…" With this, she breathes a sigh of relief at her boyfriend's understanding of their situation.

"Nate…" Just as she tries to embrace him in her relief, he reluctantly moves back.

"S-sorry, but I want to avoid getting sick, too. It'd be bad if I were absent from work or my routine training…"

"O-oh, sorry…" She then lies back down. "Yeah, that would be bad...My uncle gave me a bit of a scolding over the Xtransceiver earlier this morning, but told me to get well as soon as I can…He even moved the schedule of my last concert for me."

"That's good. I don't think Mr. Deeoh would be as forgiving if I was in your current predicament…"

"Ahahaha, yeah... I don't think I'd forgive myself if I got you in trouble. But…"

"Hm?"

"Could you promise me that we could do it again once I'm better?"

"Y-yes, o-of course I will. Just promise not to scare me like the morning after that last time…"

"Ahahahaha. I will."

"I'm serious…" Instead of a reply this time, she falls asleep.  
"Um, Yancy?"

"Later, Nate...I want to...rest…a little…bit…"

"Okay…" He then tucks her into her bed, placing the bed's blanket over her. He then falls asleep on the chair, with his head resting on her bedside desk. Just as this is happening, both their Xtransceivers begin ringing. However, with both of the devices' owners fast asleep, they soon fell silent….

…

_**A few hours later, at Yancy's dining room table…** _

…

"By the way, I almost forgot to tell you something that happened earlier…" He tells her just as he finishes munching on some fries.

"What happened?" She asks, having just gulped down a glass of water after downing a capsule of medicine.

"I came across Black while I was training at Victory Road."

"You mean...THE Black Touya we saw?"

"Yes. That's the one."

"Did you end up battling him?"

"Oh yeah, I definitely fought against him."

"So wait, if you fought Black, does that mean he used... _that_ Pokemon?"

"Zekrom? Yeah, I beat it. Barely..."

"Was it difficult facing him?"

"Difficult would be an understatement... The only reason I came out on top was a lucky critical hit from my Garchomp..."

"Well, in any case, he won't be able to use that Legendary Pokemon against you in the Champions Tournament."

"Y-yeah, thankfully... And, speaking of which, I've been training that Froakie you traded me a while back."

"Oh, how is he? Is he alright?"

"He's already a fully-evolved and trained Greninja."

"Ahaha, that's great."

"Indeed. He'll be my trump card in the PWT, alongside my Garchomp and Lucario."

"That's a bit risky, don't you think? I'm pretty sure your Garchomp can take punishment, but not so much for the other two."

"Yeah, but I plan on making my battles end as quickly as they started, thus why I chose these three. I realized my past mistake was allowing my battle with Red to drag as long as it did…"

"Hmmm. Good point. Now that you mention it, you did mention to me about dragging out that battle against him."

Just then, a knock on the door is heard.

"I'll get it…" She says while getting up from her chair.

"No, you need to rest. I'll do it…" He replies, standing up from his chair. Just as this is happening, Eve, who until that point had been under her Trainer's bed, suddenly bursts out of her room and runs in-between both of their legs. This causes both of them to fall down onto the floor, with him being on top of her once more.

"Yancy! Are you all right?"

"I am...I should scold Eve for that later…" Just then, she realizes something. "Umm...Nate…"

"Yeah?"

"Ahahaha, how do I say this…? Could you maybe...put your hand somewhere else?" When he takes a look at where his hand should be, it's at the same exact spot where

"N-not again...S-sorry…"

"Don't worry, I'm...actually kind of fine with it this time around…" Just as he's about to reply to her, they both hear another voice to their right, where her front door is.

"Oh look, Natalie. I think we interrupted their moment…" A familiar voice says.

"It's just like how I first found them together, Elizabeth. Except they were...haha...in bed that one time…" Another familiar voice replies.

"Mom!? What are you doing here?"

"M-mom!?" Sure enough, both of them stare awkwardly at their parents in silence for a few seconds, before finally freaking out. As it turns out, Eve was the one to answer the door for them, having jumped at the doorknob and using her feelers to pull said knob.

…

_**A few minutes later, after the young couple finally calm down…** _

...

"I-I appreciate the gesture mom, b-but...could you please call me ahead next time?" Yancy asks her mom. "I...I don't want yet another repeat of these awkward moments between me and Nate…"

"Ahahaha...I did try to call you earlier, dear. But you weren't answering."

"And why are you here, Mom?" Nate asks his mom.

"Well, I was at home this morning after you left, and I received a call from Elizabeth here. She said she wanted to introduce herself to me and that she was Yancy's mother."

"Yup. We met at a nearby cafe about an hour ago, and we ended up having coffee together and spending a conversation the rest of the afternoon."

"(That explains why the food they brought us looks familiar…)" Yancy mutters.

"(Funny enough, that's the food I brought for us just now…)" He whispers to her.

"So, mom... W-what was it that you two were talking about?" She asks.

"That's...actually why we're here, dear. Your dad told me that he wanted you and Nate to be at the company gala." While she was about to ask about this, Nate butts in and decides to ask himself.

"Could I ask...what for?" Smiling, Elizabeth replies with a smile.

"We're planning on introducing you two as the company's new heirs." This immediately unsettles him, and he replies with a nervous:

"C-come again, please?"

"It's basically where we announce your engagement to one another...Hahahaha…" Immediately, the young couple's faces turn red from embarrassment.

"WHA-!?"

"M-mom!"

"I'm kidding about that second part. But the first part is real. My husband wants to formally introduce you as a suitor to the heiress of the company."

"I-is this f-for real?"

"Yes it is." Yancy replies to him. "Remember, I-I still am the daughter of one of the largest companies in the region. T-this is actually going to be the first time I'm going to attend the gala for such a purpose..."

"R-right...When exactly is this gala and where?"

"Let me see here." His mom replies. "According to these invitations, it's at the Driftveil Chateau Hotel, at…"

"When exactly will it be held?"

"Ahhh, here… The gala will be held...about exactly a week from now."

"Whew…" Both of them say as the breath in a sigh in relief. Nate then continues with: "That's fine by me...If it had conflicted with my movie's premiere or Yancy's farewell concert that would have been an issue."

"When we would those be?" Both of the older women in the room ask.

"On the same day, actually…" Yancy replies. "At the end of the month, essentially a week after the gala..."

"Wait, that means I can't attend the other event right?"

"Not exactly..." She replies with a reassuring tone. "I asked Uncle Zach to arrange my concert in the morning, since your premiere is in the evening." Hearing this, he blushes and replies with:

"T-thanks for thinking ahead…" This also causes her to blush, her face turning red as well.

"Y-you're welcome…"

"Awww, Elizabeth. Just take a look at our kids...They really do make the perfect young couple…"

"MOM!"

"Mom, stop! You're embarrassing us again!"

"Hahahahaha!" 

...


End file.
